normally i don't like to post pictures of family, or myself for that matter - call me paranoid. especially in this day and age.
however, i want to introduce you to this beautiful woman who ismy mother. growing up we (my siblings and i) had major fun hanging out with this lady. although she was firm and stern she was a joy to be around and she loved doing things with her children. all her children were heavily involved in school activities from football, cheerleader, drama/plays, chorus, debate teams, baseball. and she went to ALL those events. she would just pile us up in the car and go - wherever, whenever. we just had a ball. if you were with my mom while she was out shopping, you knew you were going to get a treat. that's just the kind of mother she was. always full of wonderful surprises.
another wonderful aspect of my mother - which i inherited - was that she was very generous of spirit and pocketbook. i mean there were certain kids in the neighborhood who would come to our house on a regular basis and my mom would feed them and talk to them - they would just hang out. she was fashionable, smart, candid, even-tempered, gentle, easy to talk to, and had a great sense of humor, which many of her friends admired. i think she was in her late teens or early twenties in this photo. i look a lot like her. i have many fond memories of my mom. even today i get compliments about my mom.
what are your favorite memories of your mother or father or guardian? cheers!!
hello
i haven't been posting for a minute because i've been so crazy busy. not that that's a good thing. i really prefer to relax and have fun. but some things need attention. i shall be back soon and with a vengence - LOL! every now and then i will peek in to see what fun, crazy, exciting and sometimes serious posts my blogbuddies are posting, but i won't be commenting - perhaps giggling a little.
so everyone have a good ol' time, have fun with friends and family, shop til ya drop, dance and sing. hmmm, did i miss anything? oh yea, LOVE yourselves unconditionally. accept all your flaws, faults - all the shadow aspects therein. cheers!!
mentor
noun - an experienced and trusted adviser
verb - advise or train
mentor -- in greek mythology, a friend of odysseus and tutor of his son telemachus - who was entrusted to guide and care for him while odysseus went off to fight the trojan war.
the old african proverb that "it takes a village to raise a child" is absolutely true. children no matter what race, age, socio-economic background, or educational level need adults to care about their welfare and well-being; to show them how to grow into responsible and caring adults. children need heroes, role models, and mentors. however, there are distinct differences among the three. a hero is someone whose achievements we admire. a role model is someone whose behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes we try to emulate. a mentor is someone whose beliefs, behaviors and attitudes we want to mimic and someone who helps build character, gives wise counsel, is a confidant - a trusted friend.
i remember growing up that i had such people in my life. adults who showed they cared about me and my brothers and sisters and the other children in the neighborhood. they showed concern by asking us how are grades were, what were we learning, how are you doing, are you behaving yourself. my community was filled with doctors, teachers, postal workers - all who saw to it that we were taken care of. you could not turn the corner without knowing that there was someone who took interest in your life and who set you on the right track if you got off. if they caught you doing something you had no business doing, they reprimanded you and then told your parents - and then your parents reprimanded you, too. what i mean by reprimand is -- you got a whupping, sometimes. other times you got that "look."
even the corner, family-owed italian grocers guided and advised you on your wrong doings if they caught you doing something not in keeping with the correct character and values of the community and family. they knew, respected, and admired my entire family - from my hard-working father to my dignified mother. and they let me know it every time they saw me. they would brag about how much respect and love they had for my parents. i had to fill some pretty big shoes. i have honored all these wonderful relationships because they have made me what i am today.
however, many of today's children are missing this vital link of community and family. they have no one to help guide them into adulthood; no one to listen to. no one to show them opportunities, or broaden their horizons. still, there are many adults who see the need for mentoring. spending quality time, effort, money and other resources to guide, befriend children. opening not only the child's world, but the child's family to a host of experiences beyond what they encounter in their daily lives.
shirley chisholm, the first black woman to be elected to the us congress - and of course one of my mentors states, "service is the rent you pay for room on this earth." i believe she was right. mentoring is a fantastic way to give back to community - it's a two-way street. you can learn from a mentee just as much as they learn from you. you both grow in so many wonderful ways. there is a joy that one experiences when investing in the future of young people.
are you now mentoring someone or have you ever been a mentor?
