Melissa Matthews
Stories (4/0)
Ten Quotes From My Caribbean Mom That Might Change Your Life
I don't know if I was particularly close to my mom as a child, but somewhere in between my late teens and early twenties, she became one of my best friends. When I lived stateside, we'd sit with a bottle of wine and talk about any and everything. Our bond has only gotten stronger as I've become a mother despite the fact that I live in the Caribbean and she still lives in New York. It's almost ironic that both me and my sister have chosen to live/ raise families in our cultural home of Trinidad and Tobago—the place my mom fled in hopes of forging a better future for us in America.
By Melissa Matthews3 years ago in Families
I'm Not A Kid Anymore
“Back in the day when I was young, I’m not a kid anymore But some days, I sit and wish I was a kid again”--- Ahmad Utica Avenue was concrete and Caribbean accents. As long as I’d known myself, it was a long stretch littered with roti shops and dollar vans, always abuzz. The ‘U’ never did make an “uh” sound. Always, and I do mean, always an “OO” sound ...”OOTICA, OOTICA,” the Jamaican, or sometimes, Haitian heavy-tongued dollar-van drivers would bellow. I often suspected that some of them—-those heavy-tongued men—- were neither Jamaican or Haitian or Caribbean at all. They were just Brooklyn boys who grew up knowing it, hearing it —it just was— "OOTICA.” It was never up for debate, it just was.
By Melissa Matthews3 years ago in Humans
Are You a Mixed-Up Chameleon?
--- Comparison is an act of violence against the self." - Iyanla Vanzant My daughter and I both love Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar. It's actually the only story of his that I remember reading as a child. Some days, though, my daughter and I scout YouTube looking for stories to listen to together - she has extensive library and read a lot, too. However, on this particular day, she wanted to watch and listen to a story as told by someone other than me. We stumbled across The Mixed-Up Chameleon and we were both pleasantly surprised. As an illustrator, I'm impressed with Carle's style and as a children's book author, the simplicity of his stories is a revelation.
By Melissa Matthews4 years ago in Motivation
Fried Chicken with a Side of Tears
Minimalism and organization expert, Marie Kondo usually tells her clients to choose to keep items that "spark joy," upon further investigation she says what she actually means is to keep things that conjure deep emotion. When I share recipes and the stories that surround them, that is what I aim to do—share recipes that conjure emotions.
By Melissa Matthews4 years ago in Feast