Observations From My Life, For Absent Fathers
As a daughter of an absent father, I’d like to suggest to fathers who have been absent that there is always a chance you can make your “mis-takes” better. After all my years in these shoes, it seems to me that it does make a difference that you at least try to make it right […]
What To Do On A Fatherless Father’s Day?
On Father’s Day, about 18.2 million children in the U.S. alone will wake up without a biological, step, or adoptive father in the home. If you include those of us who are already adults, the number easily doubles. This means that about 15% of the U.S. population may not have anyone to celebrate on Father’s Day. […]
Juneteenth: A Lot to Forgive, A Lot to Celebrate, A Lot Left to be Done
Although I immigrated to the United States, this has been my home for many years. I survived the shock and all the “learnings” it takes to understand the “issue” of race in the U.S. I close my office to honor the Juneteenth Holiday and make jokes about how I am not crazy enough to pretend this […]
Juneteenth: The Day Freedom Arrived…
I am a big celebrant of the Juneteenth holiday. I have noticed that some people don’t seem to respect or give it the importance it deserves. However, as a person of “African descent,” I acknowledge its importance and what my life would have been like if slavery had not been abolished. I don’t love the […]
It’s Time for a Truestory
Animals were already male and female, but did GEFS (God, Energy, Force, Spirit) forget to make humans in pairs? Was the creation of Eve an afterthought, incidental only to Adam’s need for companionship? GEFS (God, Energy, Force, Spirit) made Adam with the anatomy of a man and all the parts and systems for reproduction, but […]
Celebrating Black History Month . . . Because You Can’t Cover the Sun With a Finger
About two years ago, on a tour bus in London, the narration of the tour included an “acknowledgement”—not sure by whom—that much of the wealth acquired by Great Britain was the result of its colonization and exploitation across the globe. These weren’t the exact words, but it is the essence of what I heard. While […]
When it Seems Difficult to be Grateful at Thanksgiving . . .
Given the many challenges in the world, some of us may find it difficult to be grateful amid what, for some, is sheer turmoil and chaos. As usual for most humans, we only care about what affects us, but as the world gets “smaller”, we can easily see suffering at the touch of a button. […]
The American Declaration of Independence—A Concept to Grow Into
As we honor America’s founding ideals, we must also recognize their contradictions and ask how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go. Throughout human history, certain documents have had a profound impact on our world. The documents created by the founders of the United States of America are at the top […]
What’s in the Name Juneteenth?
Juneteenth, or Freedom Day, Commemorates the End of Slavery in the United States. I am a big celebrant of the Juneteenth holiday. I have noticed that some people don’t seem to respect or give the holiday the importance it deserves. However, as a person of African descent, I acknowledge its importance and what my life […]
The Value of Freedom: How a Runaway Slave Learned the True Cost of Living Life on Her Own Terms
Ona Judge, an enslaved woman on the estate of George Washington and his family, had the courage to escape a “privileged” life in captivity to find an uncertain, but priceless future in freedom. Ona Judge Staines Day was first celebrated in New Hampshire on May 21, 2022. The state honored her with a marker in […]