"Born With Sight"

What is in life that one would rejoice at the conception of a human. Balloons and glitter fill the air with color as time passes to reveal the life hidden away within. Our lives seem to be comprised of our experiences alone. What we look like, how we feel, and what has happened to us all shape our reality in this world. If we aren't careful we will begin to believe that our value lies in the sum of our experiences. Memories seem to slip away the further we travel down the path of time. What once was freshly etched into our brains becomes empty spaces left with burn marks unrecognizable. As to their source who could know except maybe the ones who were there. In time, even that begins to fade. There are some things that we say we will never forget, but over time we may change a few details here and there. I have had it happen to me before: my perception of a moment changing the next day. It seems that there is sometimes a pang of guilt that can follow when the ashes of the images burned in our minds begin to be carried away by the winds of time. How is it that we can forget the faces of the ones we love? Maybe we remember things based on where we are emotionally speaking. After having time to process things and think them over, we allow ourselves to see more of what was truly happening at that moment that we weren't willing to look at within our strong emotional state. Sometimes our minds wipe memories away like a wave pulling a sandcastle into the sea. The memories remain but are unintelligible. This is a form of self-preservation.

I remember trying to soak in certain moments in my life and was honored to have spent the moments that I had in my grandparent's home chatting with my grandfather and grandmother. I recall one day my grandfather was so proud speaking about his father. His father was his hero and today I will share some of the stories of those who inspired me with you. These are stories of Black innovators, inventors, and creators who inspired me the most - my family.

He recanted a story of a day when he was younger and he had overheard a couple of Caucasian women talking. One of the women was looking for someone to help do some work and the other lady was pleased to share her recommendation since she had hired a hardworking man who was very good at his work. She told the woman, "You should hire Lester Griffith." The first woman inquired whether or not Lester was trustworthy. The second woman exclaimed, "Oh, you could leave diamonds all over your floor and you wouldn't need to worry about it!"

You see, my great-grandfather wasn't merely a businessman. He was a hard worker and came highly recommended because of his work ethic and strong morals despite the prejudice that existed. My grandfather was so proud of his father upon hearing such compliments. His eyes beamed with pride as he continued sharing more with me. "My father was never sick. I remember one time I was sick and my father stayed up all night by my bedside. All night! I fell asleep and when I woke up the next day he was still there! He had stayed up all night by my side and had never left me." My grandfather told me of how his dad had given him a warm drink every so often and how he had recovered quickly because of his father's care.

My grandfather had been instilled with those standards and had applied them to his own life. He was a man who believed in working for what one needed and wanted. He joined the U.S. Air Force around the age of 17 and traveled all over the world with his wife serving his country. My grandfather was even awarded several medals including a medal to honor him for saving the lives of those on an aircraft. He retired from the United States Air Force as a Master Sergeant and took a position as a Corrections Officer at the Trenton State Prison. He was also a veteran of the Vietnam War. My grandfather was a good singer and he used that talent to sing in the choir at his church. He was a loving husband, an amazing father, an admired grandfather, a great friend, and so much more.

The stories he shared, among others, continue to encourage and inspired me to this day. I remember graduating from Fire School and wishing that my grandfather could have been there because I felt like he was the one person who would have appreciated that ceremony the most. I know he was proud of me. I just wished he could have attended because I know that he really would have enjoyed the ceremony. It would have brought him back in a sense, back to times he had in the Air Force. I am blessed to have at least been able to have shared about my graduation with him as he laid there in the hospital bed.

Everyone deals with grief and loss differently. Some of us face it head-on, soaking up every remaining second as to not lose as many moments possible. While others, turn away and act as though there never was anything to lose. Let those who mourn and grieve do it in the way that suits them without judgment. It can be hard looking at the person we admire and see as a strong pillar to be suffering or in a state any less than that strength we once remembered. That becomes a moment that we are faced with realizing that all flesh is frailty. Hold onto the moments of life that you have - all of them. Hold onto the good and remember the bad with forgiveness. Life is too short to not be all that you can be. There are too many things we can complain about.

The color of our skin, the home of our ancestors, and whether we were born male or female can all affect our initial quality of life. But our perception of our lives and how we carry ourselves is up to us. Love yourself because you are not a mistake. Whether your parents meant to have you or planned to have you or not, you were meant to be and just as you are.

Children see people until they are taught to see color. It's not that they don't notice differences, but those differences lead to curiosity. What we do with that curiosity shapes our society. If kids can see, it means we once could see as well. Let's look again with eyes of love.