“Blooming from Brokenness: One Woman’s Rise from Despair to Divine Purpose”

It was bound to happen – an epidemic of national proportions was just a matter of time in this country.   After the January 12, 2010 earthquake many predicted that the poor handling of dead bodies and the conditions in the tent cities around the capital, Port-Au-Prince would result in serious health problems. By September 2010, conditions were not much better. Approximately 1 million people were still calling tents their homes.  As such it comes as no major surprise that the island has been hit by a cholera outbreak . News reports from the Haitian government reveal that over 2000 persons now have the diseases. Based on the infrastructure and poverty in the country there is no doubt this number will climb. The number of dead officially reported to be over 200, but who knows how many others have died so far. Many countries have offered aid after the earthquake, but obvious much more still needs to be done. The current economic climate is not helping as donations are down in...

These days I find it scary the way aging seems to be moving into the terrain of becoming a dirty word. Seriously, I hear it around me more and more where someone is referred to as old, “he’s getting old” or  “Wow, she looks old” and many other variations in between. It’s no wonder so many celebrities and even regular everyday people are risking their lives to go under the knife. While I can appreciate that aging is a bit scary, it shouldn’t become such a dirty word. Life after all is a cycle. Interestingly, I recently overheard someone in their mid-thirties referred to someone a few years older as being old’ in a disdainful manner. I wish I could be a fly on the wall when many 20-somethings and 30-somethings move into the next decade of their lives. I can remember one woman becoming hysterical at work the day she hit 30. It was so dramatic, she wept and she couldn’t eat. A few months ago, someone else, on reaching 40 declared that she was now so old – life was over. Seriously...

This month being breast cancer awareness month, I wanted to salute those women, their loved ones, the medical community and other groups who have joined together to overcome this disease.  The first time I met someone who had breast cancer was many years ago. She was a vibrant woman, who didn’t let the loss of a breast and chemo stopped her living her life. Back then it was a scary thing to know someone who was affected. Treatment was not as good as it is now and reconstruction surgery was almost unheard of in Jamaica. While I still find it a scary illness, there is comfort in knowing that many women now beat the disease. Over the years the number of persons I know personally who have battled breast cancer and survived has grown.  The first person who comes to mind is my wonderful friend Connie Curry. Connie not only survived, but she did so with grace and humor in true Connie style. While dealing with her own cancer she befriended others and offered support and comfort. ...