For the lives that we love, and everything that comes with it.
Having been born into an extremely poor family, let alone in a third world country, my brother and I were then forced to face the rest of life as adoptee's. The two of us were adopted into separate families and in completely opposite locations; I grew up in the United States and my brother, in the Bahamas.
Lucky the Quail Our Time Together
Kabisa and Ghali Muna escorted the winner of the overall competition into Ghali’s office in her greenhouse. Two leather couches facing each other in a large space with associate gardeners busy working but attentive to Grandma’s needs, guidance, and personal advice. About 10 associates from ages of 10 to 80 worked happily as Kabisa and Ghali sat on one couch. Enye a seasoned garden worker from a village about 100 miles south of Kemet sat across from Kabisa after shaking hands. Enye is the father of Salli a 10 year old girl with bright eyes and a smile that melted her father’s heart every time. Her mother Nyongeza was from the same village as Ghali. They made the bubble around the group glow with friendship and kindness. The two old friends that are enjoying the connection they have been missing for years sometimes forget that everyone else is there and that they are supposed to be doing an orientation for Salli. Ghali brings tea to the small table between the couches, Nyongeza following laughing and chatting as they all sit and sip and glow.
I never thought I would be saying the words “my son”. I had finally gotten used to the idea that my daughter would be the only child I would ever have biologically. We were surprised when we found out that almost two years after an ectopic pregnancy, my fiancé and I were expecting. We were overcome with joy, when we found out we would be having a boy. I had always wanted a son, although any gender would have been okay with me. All I wanted was the baby!
Boundaries. This word is used so often that some might mistake it for a meaningless buzzword--a form of virtue signaling. But boundaries are real, and important to respect.
I remember listening to and actively participating in more than one conversation that included ignorant expressions like "did you know so-and-so got a divorce? Girl! I don't know what the heck happened to her, but now she's acting all crazy.
When I was 14 or so I would ride along with my brother and brother-in-law on their truck routes during the summer. They were older than me by ten years or so, so this made for an interesting experience. There are many stories from the road that I can tell you, but this one is about the time my brother-in-law decided to throw his truck off of the side of a cliff with me and him in it.
The waves rolled onto the rocky shore, more quietly than you might expect. They'd been doing it for so long they knew the way and didn't need to think twice. But they didn't sweep the shore sleepily - they had intention. This was their work as well as their nature and they wanted to do it well.