Since the whole movement of Black Lives Matter (BLM) reared its head amid COVID-19, I have stood on the sidelines. Some view this as being cowardly, but my reasons are quite different. I voiced my thoughts on the incidents that preempted the uprising, and I condemned them. There were too many deaths and as it may be, the victims were all “black”. This civil uprising stirred up thoughts in my mind about my heritage and my own “blackness”.
Growing up, I never questioned my skin color nor did I affiliate myself with being black, or I should say, I did not have cause to question it. My skin is light brown or fair, my hair is soft and curly, and I am of mixed ethnicity. …
First thing is first…Happy New Year and a magnanimous thank you to my followers and readers. Being a virtual unknown in the sphere, I didn’t expect a bandwagon of followers, so I am extremely grateful for my sixty-two. Your support has given a level of confidence that I lacked.
Joining Medium gave me a judgment-free space to explore my writer’s voice, to follow other writers whose writing style intrigued me, to learn from more experienced writers, and to offer my support. …
It was early August, three days after my birthday. My day began with the usual hustle of preparing for Summer camp and dropping the boys off at my parents’. That afternoon, he sat on the front porch while he rocked my son to sleep, happily whistling some sweet melodious lullaby. The scene remained etched in my memory — pure love. Later that evening, with some help, he walked down the stairs toward me, and with silent words, his liquid brown eyes bore deeply into mine. My Papa, my first love, was saying goodbye. Forever. Without warning, my life changed. …
From crushing disappointment to finding my voice in a complex world of words
The early creative years
In my early years, I always had a good imagination. Even though I had siblings, they were much older and had already flown the nest. Besides my cousins, I had only my imaginary friends to play with. Sounds sad, doesn’t it? Well, for me, it was not such a melancholic or lonely time. I created scripts in my head for each of the characters and their personalities were all unique. Doing this filled most of my early childhood days. …
“Que sera, sera!
Whatever will be, will be
The future’s not ours to see
Que sera, sera.”
Lyrics from the song, Que Sera Sera by Doris Day
When I was growing up, my mother used to chant this chorus all the time. I knew what it meant but never really paid attention to its true meaning until I became a grown woman.
Have you ever had a decision to make, but it tore you? Or, you applied for a job and did not get it, but something better came along right after? …
Deciding to become a teacher is a momentous undertaking. When someone becomes a teacher, they take on the task to inspire and change lives forever. The academic year will begin in a few short weeks and there is still uncertainty amid Covid-19. Therefore, new teachers need some inspiration as they face the road ahead.
So, you’ve applied to your local school board, nervously did your interview, and finally got offered the job of your dreams. Congratulations! You are off to the races.
But wait! There is something you need to know. My intention here is not to be a Debbie Downer, but newbie teachers should not delude themselves that teaching is a glorious cushy job. Teachers put in many hours besides their regular time, deal with irate parents, manage a classroom full of unique personalities (some with behavioral issues), and still have to somehow deliver a curriculum. …
“Places don’t matter to people anymore. Places aren’t the point. People are only ever half present where they are these days. They always have at least one foot in the great digital nowhere.” Matt Haig, How to Stop TIme
Decades ago, the world managed without today’s kind of technology. Now, we cannot seem to go about our daily lives without it. Everyone these days has some kind of technological device, a smartphone, iPad, laptop, you name it; it is the norm. If you do not have one, you are considered old-schooled. Recent studies now show that our teens are at a higher risk to suffer from Internet Addiction Disorder (AID) because of excessive use of technology. …
The only certainty in life is death, but it doesn’t matter whether you have had time to prepare for it or not. When that moment finally happens, the wind is knocked out of your sails. Everyone is touched by death: the death of a parent, death of a child, death of a sibling, death of a relative, death of a close friend, or death of a pet. We all grieve in different ways and our sadness may linger longer than others, but the common connection is the love we held for the ones we lost.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a friend of mine lost her dad and she was unable to be there for the final farewell. It was devastating, and I can empathize with her pain. Her loss reminded me of the loss of my own father almost 24 years ago. His passing shattered my world. I felt only raw pain and had no desire to see or speak to anyone except to the ones in my closest circle; these are ones I drew emotional strength from. …
Are you looking for a romantic weekend getaway? Taking a well-deserved time out from the hustle and bustle of work, children and the daily mundane chores is good for any relationship. Just one night away can give you renewed energy and strengthen relationship bonds. Well, here’s a review for you that offers a great place to stay — the charming Queen’s Landing.
The Summer of 2019 was one for the books. That summer I turned 50 and celebrated 27 years of marriage. Woo Hoo! Like most people, I love surprises, and my husband really outdid himself for our anniversary.
A few days before our anniversary, my husband planned a romantic weekend getaway but still needed my input. He sent me a link to Queen’s Landing. It was a hotel in Niagara-on-the-Lake, one of my favorite towns in Ontario. I wasted no time in doing a little research on the all famous Google. The hotel was a quintessential luxury harbor-front hotel and one of the Vintage Hotels Collection. It seemed beautiful and pricey, but who was complaining. By that time, he had already booked us in for a night. The excitement overcame me because I had never stayed in a hotel that promised such a luxury. …
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