It is a refreshing feeling, when…
Happy Mother’s Day Mommy
It’s for the weary souls it lifts
It’s not about a sweet cliche
It’s for the phrase that we should say
On each and every passing day
In hopes that it might sometime stay
within her mind, she’ll know in kind
to have a restful Mother’s Day
My mother held her daughter’s hand
and lo, she held it tight
but when the time arose to fly
she watched me soar in flight
I hope that she’ll remember me
with smiles and never tears
I hope she knows that I do hear
her voice between my ears
I hope that I’ll know better than
to wait until this day
the second sunny Sunday
in the merry month of May
t’express the things I always feel
Express them loud, with pride
Because these thoughts are always here,
Just usually inside
I promise I will do my best
to be more vocal, too
so you will know, the world will know
Just how much I love you. ^_^
Happy Mother’s Day Mommy! I love you very much!
Copyright 2012 Madona Ayorinde’
A Grateful Daughter On Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day 2012
A grateful Daughter on Mother’s day 2012
I am indeed grateful; to my Mama for all that she has done for me. I am thankful to God for sparing her life as she approaches her 90th birthday, to read these sentiments. I do not take this lightly, for there are many children out there experiencing a void on this day – one that is accompanied by an enormous regret brought on by the fact that they never had the chance to really express their appreciation, love and respect for their mother before she passed on. It is every mother’s wish that their children do not fall under this category!
I still have a vivid recollection of the way my mother interacted with me as a child. She always made time to sing to me, read to me and recite inspirational poems with me. She did not hesitate to put her foot down when I attempted to take chances with her or anyone else for that matter. I must say, Mama was no slouch in the area of discipline. She executed her “motherly role” with finesse, dignity and sensitivity. She taught me by example, that I should be thankful for what I had and that I must never hesitate to share my acquisitions with the “less fortunate”. This could not have been made clearer as I had cause to occasionally rummage through my wardrobe in vain for my ” favorite” Sunday dress; only to be told by Mama that she had donated it to someone who needed it. Even at the ripe old age of 8, I knew my mother had done a good thing and I was glad to be a part of it! That lesson has stayed with me throughout my life – As you reach out to “help” others, don’t do so with things that are worn out that you cannot wait to get rid of.
My mother saw to it that we “remembered to keep the Sabbath day holy” in her household. Sunday was a day of reverence, and the family never missed out on church activities in which she also participated. One highlight of the day for her and my father, I am sure, was our having to respond to the question,” What did the pastor say today?” Yes, we had to give a summary of the sermon every Sunday – no questions asked. I always wondered silently though, why we had to do that when our parents were sitting right there beside us in church. Didn’t they hear the pastor? Needless to say, it was not until I got older that I realized, that exercise was a way of ensuring that we were attentive, and that we had learned something from the sermon!
I have recollections of my mother always doing something to bring people together – to empower them and make them feel good about themselves. I was right in the middle of all that! As the one time President of the YWCA of Waterloo Village in Sierra Leone, I watched and internalized her leadership skills. I in turn, set up a 4-H club comprised of my friends! It didn’t matter that it was not an officially organized club. What mattered was that my mother had told me about what the 4-H club and what it stood for, and I wanted a part of that action!
This is just a drop in the bucket of how my mother contributed to the shaping of my life in a positive way. I thank her for being my role model, my disciplinarian, my teacher, my confidant, my hero and friend (…now that I am an adult and a mother myself). Mama’s words of wisdom and insightful take on life in the 21st Century make her most relevant in my life today and every day. I thank, love and honor my Mama for being the champion of a Mother that she is!
I want to seize this opportunity to say ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ to all women out there who have at one time or the other touched the lives of children in a positive way. Thank you to the men in our lives for assuming the co-mothering role whenever the occasion calls for it …in addition to the excellent fatherly role they play. This mother thanks all mothers and women who have invited her children to share their clean spirit with them at one time or the other. God Bless you.
The Journey Has Just Begun – There Is Time For You To Get On Board
Yesterday, I responded to news of a husband and wife murder-suicide and 4 innocent surviving child victims in a community where I have lived for over 20 years.
I woke up this morning to find that the North Bellmore School District had taken the lead with a public statement on how they intend to support the true victims of this seemingly senseless and selfish act that has disrupted the lives of their students. This got me thinking about ways the community can honor and embrace these children.
As updates begin to unfold the ‘facts’ of the ‘case’, there is an outpouring of sentiments expressed by community members. One such person, Laurie, commented, “there are indeed no words or donations that can help these kids”. Even as I subscribe to this thinking too, I believe there must be something else a community can do alongside other initiatives earmarked for the children that could bring about a meaningful change. Recognizing that this travesty can happen in any community around the world, I feel compelled to write this version of my post to the Bell more Patch, to address those outside the confines of the North Bellmore community.
What comes to mind in terms of a meaningful change would require us to change our way of thinking. As a community, we must do our very best to operate in the “brother’s/sister’s keeper” mode. We must resolve to refrain from turning a blind eye to dysfunctional abehavior and seek help …even for our neighbors.
We are indeed our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. This, of course, will call for us to be honest with ourselves and take the proverbial moat out of our own eyes first. I cannot at the moment think of a better way to work towards ensuring that horrific happenings such as this one become a thing of the past. It is a given that education, is a necessary tool in this process. People need to know what to do, where to go, and how things work in general.
Please feel free to offer your ideas on how we can go about developing and maintaining a mentally and emotionally sound community in the name of 4 children who have some challenging times ahead…no matter what.
It is all about our children: they don’t get to pick their parents
http:// http://bellmore.patch.com/articles/cops-kids-find-parents-in-apparent-homicide-suicide
My response:
It will take a good village to raise these perplexed and courageous kids. The support of family, school, neighbors, friends, community organizations and well-wishers would have to step up to the plate and support these children. God always looks out for his little angels
and speaks to the hearts of his big ones too!
This is yet another instance of how the problems and decisions of grown-ups can impact the lives of children tremendously. According to initial report, I gather that “no one saw this coming”. My comment to that is , the couple did, their children did, and those very close to them did!
Is it that we as a society still have a long way to go in engendering swift action and response for our own people when it comes to the matters of the ‘heart and mind’?
There is no shame in seeking help when you find yourself in a tight moral and emotional spot. Do not worry about what people will think of you. Our children need us, for reasons too many to list here. I believe we get the picture.Organizational help and commu- nunity outreach must by now, in this 21st Century, be easily accessible in all communities .
Finally, let us not underestimate our own role and strength in making our respective communities healthier for all; particularly our children who after all, did not get to pick their parents.
I Just Can’t Keep It to Myself: A Lesson in the Art & Fashion of Collegiate Excellence
When was the last time you interacted with a bunch of “college kids”? How would you characterize that experience? Was it disheartening, or would you say it was exhilarating enough to shout it from the mountain top? Bear with me while I do my “shouting”, for in light of an abundance of criticisms of our young people, it is refreshing to have firsthand experience of good tidings!
On Saturday April 14, I visited Wellesley College where my creations were showcased in the 30th Annual Ethos Fashion Show. Thanks to my daughter who had shared with the group that her mother creates original textile designs and fashions that she felt would be a fit for the show. I was quite impressed by a group of young ladies who did not balk at entertaining the idea of dealing with a first year student’s mother at a time when most of their plans for the show were already in place. This spoke volumes to the self-assuredness and accommodating spirit that the co-directors of the fashion show committee and their team possessed. Consequently, I knew to expect a high level of integrity that could even mean my rejection as a participating designer if my creations were deemed unsuitable for the show. I braced myself accordingly, with full resolve that if that were to happen, I would not take it personally and would instead be accepting of the fact that effective leaders make decisions that would neither compromise their integrity nor interfere with their quest for excellence.
I say ‘kudos’ to this team which included a mother whose daughter was wise enough to solicit her expertise at event-planning. It was amazing how they managed 21 models and tons of garments from upscale boutiques with such ease. They conducted themselves in a manner that was unmistakably coming from the same source – a Wellesley College orientation perhaps! Tasks spanned from inspecting and documenting defects in garments to the diplomatic handling of my carefully toned-down idiosyncrasies! They even appeared to take my brief, but necessary, cultural enlightenment in good stead!
It was refreshing to witness a meeting of elegance and personality on the runway! If you have been to a fashion show of late, you know what I am not talking about. Models showcased garments and accessories in the best possible light, with dignity and confidence. They were truly society’s positive ‘models’ with “body parts” appropriately attired, and a “no boobs in your face” policy in action! As I wished more parents were present to see their daughters in action, I quickly took consolation by reminding myself of the obvious: Wellesley parents are already aware of the capabilities of their daughters, for after all, most of them have and do continue to play a significant role in the lives of their exceptional students!
With such a significant presence of warm personalities, diplomacy, and a host of leadership qualities, it was impossible for me to miss the message of hope for a bright global future; as long as institutions like Wellesley College continue to provide the tools for excellence, with the expectation of nothing short in return.
Please share your good or not-so-good tidings with us.
Let us celebrate and find solutions together!
Fashion Wednesday – Fitting into Spring
Spring has indeed sprung and with the weather being so kind to us, we cannot be blamed for thinking summer has taken us by surprise. For some, the thought of shedding heavy, baggy clothes makes this an exciting time; while others get into a panic mode. “Which of those gorgeous fashions out there am I going to be able to pull this off…,” “With this additional weight gain, I am never going to look that good in these clothes”. “I am never going to fit into the clothes I like, nice clothes are never made in my size.”
To those who are thinking of revving up their engine on “panic mode”, I say STOP for a quick moment and THINK about just how wonderfully made YOU are. Do not buy into the hype of having to be a certain size or having to look a certain way in order to be labelled attractive by people who don’t always have your best interest at heart in any case. Please note that this journey begins and ends with you. Your attractiveness is not contingent on how you go about packaging yourself to look like a runway model. It has much to do with you empowering yourself enough to be able to determine your sense of style; and add garments to your wardrobe which complement your body type and lifestyle. This way, you will enhance your beauty, project confidence, and dress comfortably in an effortless way.
There are tons of fashion choices available to you. But you must first of all make a move towards appreciating your inner and outer beauty. With the onset of Spring, comes anticipation, a breath of fresh air, the sprouting of colorful flowers of all varieties. You and the millions of others out there are very much a part of the blossoming of a new season. Just think about how boring our landscape would be without a rich variety of rocks, flowers, shrubs and trees and you will understand just how relevant YOU are to the landscape of humankind. – Madona Cole-Lacy M.A. Ed.-
Madona Cole-Lacy, artist, educator, and director of Madona Cole Originals and My Time Has Come Program, caters to women of all shapes and sizes with her original art work on fine fabrics with which she creates: custom, limited editions and one-of-a kind fashions and accessories. She is the creator of Dignity Headwear for women and girls experiencing hair loss from the side effects of chemotherapy and alopecia. Through My Time Has Come Program, she provides art-related social and cultural awareness programs for schools and community organizations. She also encourages the personal development and empowerment of youth and their families through workshops and her annual self-empowering workshop for college-bound high school students and their parents.
www.madonacoleoriginals.com https://www.facebook.com/pages/Madona-Cole-Originals/340279513319
