I last saw my mother four years ago, in July of 2017. In her house, she hung an outdated calendar with a picture of a lovely young woman. On telling me that she kept the calendar because the girl on it reminded her of me, I threw it out and sent her a canvas print … Continue reading If You See my Mother, Please Show her This Picture
The nurse caught Coronavirus at work. She got a false-negative test result the first time and celebrated that she did not need to think of death and dying. But when the cold worsened, she got tested again and self-isolated as a precaution. It was, however, too late. Her mother died a week later, was posthumously … Continue reading A Moment Inside Coronavirus Grief: Guilt, Courage, and Hope
For a world in a hurry, it’s hard to stop. Even the all of two minutes it takes to nuke our dinners seem a lengthy wait. We can’t stop. We must keep going so as not to miss out. But, what if our stopping could be the lifeline that pulls a loved one out of … Continue reading This Valentine’s, Let Your Love Stop
If America were a child and the presidency its guardian Photo by Jonas Karakoto on Unsplash America unveiled by 2020 is like a child who has wakened: vulnerable, screaming for attention, for comfort, for nourishment, for touch and connection, for belonging. The child's development has been compromised by unfit guardianship in the form of poor … Continue reading U.S. Democrats Are About to Assume the Care Of A ‘Sickly, Unsettled Child’
Photo Credit: Lydya Nada on Unsplash He fumed and shoutedSmoking hate wisped off his tongueSpewing words I may not repeatAs they are lies I can never own He gave me the finger He wanted to unmake meDeny me my humanityAnd as though my heart a spongeSoak it in his hateAnd crowd out room for loveOf … Continue reading Sorry hate, your target is not vulnerable
Photo by Pawel Janiak on Unsplash From Christopher Columbus’ famous landing to the ongoing Antifa riots, American history is written in violence and blood. I never acknowledged this reality until the recent social unrest. Before that, I had enshrined America as my benevolent childhood hero incapable of injustice and violence. Growing up in rural Kenya, I romanticized … Continue reading Five Lessons For America From Kenya’s 2007 Graphic Post-Election Violence
Photo by Mi-Pham on Unsplash News of a second lockdown and tighter restrictions increased my children’s Covid-19 induced anxiety, requiring parenting creativity in how we eased them into isolation. With trembling lips, our 5-year-old put down his dinner spoon, stared teary eyed at his dad and said: “I don’t understand why there is no more school. There was … Continue reading I’m Helping my Children Celebrate Their Covid-19 Anxieties Away
Were his personal life a reflection of peace Photo by John Cameron on Unsplash President Trump received three nominations for the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize, which was awarded to the United Nations’ World Food Programme today. Trump was nominated by the Norwegian politician Christian Tybring-Gjedde for his peace efforts between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. The two states … Continue reading President Donald Trump Might Have Won The 2020 Nobel Peace Prize
And Three Tips to Help you Reinvent and Survive Photo by Brian McGowan on Unsplash Covid-19 destabilized existing socio-economic structures and disrupted our existence. With the systems that supported many lifestyles decimated, your life goals may have changed, moved, or disappeared altogether. Being unable to plan your future with certainty may leave you restless, feeling as if you’ve … Continue reading What Is The Coronavirus ‘Liminal Phase’?
A Racist incident at Meijer, and how personal identity is helping the victim overcome traumaPhoto by Rostyslav Savchyn on Unsplash‘The injustice that is racial profiling leaves the victim feeling unsafe and vulnerable,’ I thought, recalling my friend Lankeu’s recount of fear, helplessness, and the urge to run, although he knew he was innocent. Entranced by the intensity … Continue reading Victims of Racial Profiling are in Fight or Flight Mode in Public Spaces, And It’s Exhausting
