Another one of those sayings from yours truly

It takes something tragic to make one realize the beauty and truth of life’s enduring journey.

Gratitude in its truest sense

I’ve finally written my tribute for my grandmother. I  hope it did her justice.  Enjoy.

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“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
John F. Kennedy

 

It’s been over a month now since Ammama has left this world and I have been trying very hard to come up with the right words. This is not usually the case for me, that is, to be tongue-tied. Apparently, I have inherited this trait from Aunty Dharma!

 

After having reflected on what everyone in the family has said about Ammama, I realized just the perfect words.

 

Ammama is an ordinary woman with extraordinary abilities. The beginning of her life was not a joyous one. She had lost her mother at a tender age of 7 and as a result, her childhood was so abruptly taken away from her.  Despite her grief and her loss, she was resolute in being that thread that held the fabric of family together.

 

Ammama was a consummate wife, mother and grandmother, as she devoted her life to raising her children and grandchildren to stand tall with strong moral principles and values. Above all, Ammama taught her children and grandchildren to devote themselves to their family and to be selfless individuals. She did not preach this through her words, but rather through her daily actions as she took on the task of being a mother and grandmother not only to her six children and twelve grandchildren, but to many others as well. This to me is most remarkable as there are not many people who can give themselves unconditionally and as willingly as my Ammama has done.

 

Which brings me now to the most salient point: my grandmother lived her life selflessly and with purpose, and to truly honor and appreciate her memory, one has to only echo on the words of the great John. F. Kennedy. There would be no better tribute than to live our lives the way she did; with magnanimity, selflessness and a grit for determination.

 

I will surely miss this indomitable spirit as I imagine others do. And I will try my very best to treasure her memory by emulating it.

 

I love you very much Ammama and you will be deeply missed. Rest in peace.

 

“A master chef, a connoisseur of life

Every ingredient meticulously sought

a journey to perfection, a life well-lived

To move forward now is to learn.” – Keisha Petrus

One of Favorite poems of All time

FRom the Old Blog:

in one sentence,

Profundity and Simplicity in such Brevity are Keys to Uniformity in Poetry.

 

 

• Feb. 18th, 2008 at 3:28 PM

I just love the simplicity of this poem written by Maya Angelou. I often try to draw inspiration from simplistic yet profound writers as I feel that the message of the poem stands as the key element in well-written poetry. And one knows that when poetry is embellished with superfluities, the mind often wanders and loses sight of the underlying message. 

So here it is, The Human Family by Maya Angelou. 

 

Human Family

Poem by Dr. Maya Angelou

I note the obvious differences
in the human family.

Some of us are serious,
some thrive on comedy.
Some declare their lives are lived
as true profundity,
and others claim they really live
the real reality.

The variety of our skin tones
can confuse, bemuse, delight,
brown and pink and beige and purple,
tan and blue and white.

I’ve sailed upon the seven seas
and stopped in every land.
I’ve seen the wonders of the world,
not yet one common man.

I know ten thousand women
called Jane and Mary Jane,
but I’ve not seen any two
who really were the same.

Mirror twins are different
although their features jibe,
and lovers think quite different thoughts
while lying side by side.

We love and lose in China,
we weep on England’s moors,
and laugh and moan in Guinea,
and thrive on Spanish shores.

We seek success in Finland,
are born and die in Maine.
In minor ways we differ,
in major we’re the same.

I note the obvious differences
between each sort and type,
but we are more alike, my friends
than we are unalike.

We are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.

We are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.

Keisha’s Aphorisms

A lesson concerning Faith:

It is a misconception that to believe, one needs to SEE. Rather, that to see, one needs to BELIEVE.