My Mama, My Best Friend!

Is your mom your best friend?  I remember a time when I couldn't stand my mother! It's amazing how time changes our relationships.  Now that I've grown up, gotten married and become a mom to my own children, my mom has become one of my closest confidants. I can see things much differently now than I did when I was 15 and 20. I always thought my mom was out to distract or prohibit me from anything that involved fun or a good time.  But now I realize that she was always looking out for my best interests.  The difference with her form of parenting and my form of parenting is that when she said "no", she never gave a reason why.  I am a firm believer that children learn more when they can understand why we are saying no.  They may not fully understand but I know that with my daughter, she is sharp enough to catch on to why I tell her to look both ways for cars before crossing the street.  I have explained to her time and time again that children need to be aware of their surroundings. As she grows it becomes more apparent that she actually listens to her mama!  So CHEERS to all the moms who are always looking out for our best interests and and who eventually become their daughter's best friend.

Check out this awesome article that spoke to me as a mom.  Reasons #2,4,8,9,11 and 15 in particular totally emulate similar qualities of my mom:

22 Reasons Why Your Mom Was Your First Friend, And Will Be Your Best Friend For Life

How to Handle Everyday Stress

Whether it's work, family, friends or just general frustration. Constant stress can sometimes result to more serious physical conditions.  It may sounds simple but believe it or not, sometimes stopping to breathe (inhale & exhale) can release more stress than you think. Check out the article below. It has a number of ways for us to reduce everyday stress and get through those difficult days.

40 Ways to Relax in 5 Minutes or Less

Did you marry your soul mate?

Do you believe in soul mates?  I do!  I think that each of us has that one special person out there we have either already found or are still searching for.  Soul mates are described as helpmates in the bible (Genesis 2:18).  Take a look at this adorable article about soul mates that I found on Black and Married with Kids.

5 Signs You're Married to Your Soul Mate

Heart transplant recipient falls in love with donor’s sister

Her brother’s heart ultimately guided her to the man that would fulfill her own heart.  After helping to find the right match for her deceased brother’s donated heart, one woman fell in love with her brother’s transplant recipient – and wedding bells may soon be in the air for the happy couple, West Seattle Herald reported.

“It was a connection at first sight. We hit it off right away and became friends.”

- Connor Rabinowitz

Check out this touching story out of Seattle, Washington. Read here

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

February = Birthdays & Black History

Happy Birthday to legendary Reggae Icon, Robert Nesta Marley AKA Bob Marley.

Check out his legacy:
Bob Marley

February = Black History Month

Image courtesy of AOL Lifestyle Group MAKERS

Greetings and Happy February!  As we embark on my favorite month, I would like to share an interesting article that I came across called the "Unknown Stories of African American Women's Firsts".  Take a look at this inspiring slideshow featuring their incredible accomplishments despite the obstacles that they faced.

Unknown Stories of African American Women's Firsts

Sometimes there truly is a Perfect Match when it comes to love

Courtesy of Metro Newspaper -  Metro.co.uk

Chelsea Clair donated her kidney to a virtual stranger; both of them got more than they bargained for.  Chelsea met Kyle Froelich at a car show in 2009.  He happened to mention that he needed a new kidney and the rest was history!  Click the link below to read the amazing story:

The Perfect Match

Most people when they fall in love, give away their heart but Chelsea gave away her kidney first then that bond with Kyle tugged at her heart.  Here's what she had to say about it all.  “He’s carrying around my kidney, I have to make sure he takes care of that.”  Join me in wishing the happy couple a long, healthy, life together.  Until my next post, sending you love from the sweeter side of life!

Do Not Worry

Courtesy of Sarah Cooper of www.Coopics.com
 

 

Lately I’ve been experiencing anxiety about various things going on in my life.  The one verse that continually pops into my mind when I try to process how to deal with these issues is highlighted below.  It refers to worrying. 

 

Below is a biblical passage from             Luke 12: 22-34. 

Do Not Worry

22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life[b]? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

27 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

I specifically went searching for the one highlighted verse but ended up reading the entire section about worrying.  Don’t you love when that happens?  These verses were the spiritual food that I needed to get me through my moments of anxiety!  We like to believe that we are in control of the things that happen in our lives but in reality, we only control but a small portion.  It’s soothing to know that our heavenly father provides for all of our needs.  All we need to do is be patient and trust him.  So I’m not going to lie and say that I will never worry again.  Instead, I will print out these verses as a reminder that God my provider (Jehovah Jireh) is with me.  Just as he provides for the smallest creature, he will provide for me.  So as I encourage myself, let me encourage you to look to God for all that you need and it will be provided to you. Until my next post, sending you love from the sweeter side of life! 

Loving All That Is In Me

I remember when my husband (then boyfriend) and I began dating, the second time around.  It was at one of the most insecure times of my life because that was when I was transitioning to natural hair.  I was rocking afros, twists, head wraps and I finally bit the bullet and locked my natural hair.
   Transitioning from relaxed hair to natural hair is a tough time for many African/Caribbean-American women.  I remember standing in the mirror for hours thinking that my hair was my beauty and why in the world did I cut it off in the first place. Well the reality was that my hair was merely an enhancement to the real me.  I didn't get it until my boyfriend uttered those three special words, "I love you".  Really?  Even with my crazy, uncooperative hair?  Well, yes, absolutely!  You see, my hair didn't define my heart.  Thank God he didn't buy into the superficial concepts that hair denotes beauty.  He looked at my heart and that's where our love blossomed.  Not on my smile, eyes, or my boobs or butt.  He saw the love that I exuded.  Love of family, love of friends, love of God and somewhere under there, he even saw my love for myself. 

   Without knowing it, he inspired me even more to embrace the natural me and to love the new person that I was becoming.  Our love for each other grew more and more.  On various occasions, he gave me a glimpse of how our lives would be together if we were to get married.  He was supportive, loving, attentive, sensitive and very loyal.  So when he proposed, without hesitation, I said Yes!  In the picture displayed, I just remember being the happiest girl in the world.  Today, six years later, I have no regrets.  I continue to explore love and try my best to promote it every way that I can.  In the end, love is all you need.  Until my next post, sending you love from the sweeter side of life!

Spiritual Love

As a working wife and mom, I'm reminded each day how important it is to say and show love to myself and the people closest to me.  As a child, I was shown love but hardly ever heard the words "I love you".  Now that I have a husband and children of my own, I make sure to say these words every opportunity I get.  Seeing and hearing love is equally as important.  I knew my parents loved me by the sacrifices that they made for me but not hearing that I was loved somehow affected my self-esteem and left me somewhat insecure for a portion of my life. 

  

A Time for Everything

How does one handle the death of a loved one?  Hmm...this is something that I am still working out within myself.  I must admit, I'm still saddened by the deaths of family and friends that have passed on recently and several years ago.  The reality is that death is a part of life.  We are all born into this world and no one can guarantee how long we will be here.  As Ecclesiastes 3:2 says, "A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;".  Everyone and everything has a time here on earth.  Nothing lasts forever.  Ecclesiastes 3 says it best. One thing that remains consistent in my mind is that we must do what we can to enjoy the life we've been given.

Recently, I am reminded of my aunts and an uncle that passed away some years ago.  What usually triggers these mournful feelings is hearing about a death in a friend's family or maybe a co-worker had a death in their family.  I reminisce on how I felt when my loved one died and try to sympathize with others who are now mourning. As a spritual woman, I'm learning more and more to trust my faith and to lean not on my own understanding.  The deeper I dig into my christian faith, the more I realize that death is only a part of the picture.  God sees the bigger picture and only he can put the entire puzzle together.  It took me a while to find a church home since moving to the Jersey Shore and I think I've found a great community-oriented, bible-based, non-denominational church. As we study God's word each Sunday, I realize that there are several areas that address the subject of death and in most instances, comfort often follows. 

Spring, where are you?

So I'm starting to feel the blues. As a Caribbean woman, you can only expect that I am officially getting weary with this blistering cold weather!  There is not a day that goes by that I don't dream of warmer weather.  I've actually begun to see signs of spring in my front flowering garden.  Some of my flowers have already begun to shoot out of the ground.  I just hope the weather remains consistent so that my garden has a chance to bloom appropriately.

As a welcomed reminder that spring is on it's way, a colleague of mine sent me some amazing images of Orchids and other flowers that he took when he went to the Longwood Garden's Orchid Extravaganza.

All images courtesy of Longwood Gardens.

Many thanks to Bob K. For sharing.

SugaCity Love Tales salutes our final honoree for Black History Month!

Image and blurb courtesy of Wikipedia

Marcus Garvey was a Jamaican political leader, publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator who was a staunch proponent of the Black nationalism and Pan-Africanism movements, to which end he founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA-ACL).^[2] He founded the Black Star Line, part of the Back-to-Africa movement, which promoted the return of the African diaspora to their ancestral lands.

Click on the link below for more information on Benjamin Banneker:

 Marcus Garvey, Jamaican Political Leader

Profile courtesy of BBC History

SugaCity Love Tales salutes Benjamin Banneker!

Image courtesy of Blackpast.org

SugaCity Love Tales salutes Benjamin Banneker!

Benjamin Banneker was a free African American scientist, surveyor, almanac author and farmer. Born in Baltimore County, Maryland to a free African American woman and a former slave, Banneker had little formal education and was largely self-taught. He is known for being part of a group led by Major Andrew Ellicott that surveyed the borders of the original District of Columbia, the federal capital district of the United States.

Click on the link below for more information on Benjamin Banneker:
Benjamin Banneker, Scientist  

Blurb courtesy of Wikipedia. Biography courtesy of PBS.org.

SugaCity Love Tales salutes Janet Emerson Bashen!

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

SugaCity Love Tales salutes Janet Emerson Bashen!

Janet Emerson Bashen is an American inventor, entrepreneur, and business consultant. Bashen is the first African American woman to receive a patent for a web-based equal employment opportunity (EEO) software invention and was inducted into the Black Inventors Hall of Fame in 2007. Bashen is the founder and President of Bashen Corporation, a human resources consulting firm with a market niche in EEO compliance.

Click on the link below for more information on Janet Emerson Bashen:

Janet Emerson Bashen, Inventor, entrepreneur

Blurb courtesy of Wikipedia.  Biography courtesy of Bashen Corporation.

SugaCity salutes John Ogbu!

SugaCity salutes Dr. John Ogbu!

John Ogbu was a Nigerian-American anthropologist and professor known for his theories on observed phenomena involving race and intelligence, especially how race and ethnic differences played out in educational and economic achievement.

Check out the link below for more information on Dr. Ogbu:

John Ogbu, Anthropologist
Image and article courtesy of University of California 

SugaCity Love Tales salutes Dr. Sossina Haile!

SugaCity Love Tales salutes Dr. Sossina Haile!

Sossina Haile is an Ethiopian-American scientist. She is a Professor of Materials Science and of Chemical Engineering at the Caltech, who created a new type of fuel cell.

Check out the link below for more information on Dr. Haile:



Profile for Sossina Haile
Image and Profile courtesy of California Institute of Technology

SugaCity Love Tales Salutes Bob Marley!

SugaCity Love Tales Salutes Bob Marley!  Happy Birthday Bob!

Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981),  more widely and commonly known as Bob Marley, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae bands The Wailers (1963-1974) and Bob Marley & The Wailers (1974–1981). Marley remains the most widely known and revered performer of reggae music, and is credited with helping spread both Jamaican music and the Rastafari movement to a worldwide audience.

Click the link below to learn more about Bob Marley!
The Life of Bob Marley 

Image and Biography courtesy of www.BobMarley.com
Blurb courtesy of Wikipedia

SugaCity Love Tales Salutes married couple Mamie Clark and Kenneth Clark!

Image courtesy of Columbia University Archives

SugaCity Love Tales Salutes married couple Dr. Mamie Clark and Dr. Kenneth Clark!

Mamie and Kenneth Clark were African-American psychologists who as a married team conducted important research among children and were active in the Civil Rights Movement.



Check out the link below to learn more about Dr. Mamie Clark:

Mamie Clark, Psychologist
Article courtesy of Columbia University Libraries Oral History Research Offices


Check out the link below to learn more about Dr. Kenneth Clark:

Kenneth Clark, Psychologist
Article courtesy of The New York Times
 

Check out the link below for more on their collaborated research:

Collaborated research