Last post for 2011, onward to 2012. Thanks for the love

This is the true life story that I had written for O'Naturals, its a 2 parter so they should be having the 2nd part of it out before 2012, so you can go and read it there. But while I have this borrowed time, I'm posting this to you and also saying 'thank you for reading, for commenting, for believing in me, for praying for me, with me, for being there every single step of the way, silently and publicly. God bless you and Have a very happy New Year.

I on a personal front, hope to have a new laptop, write more, publish a book (this has been a 3 year dream, touch wood for 2012) travel, fall in love? (I'm open to offers) lol and live and laugh more. In all my pain, distress and fears, God has been so good to me. He's given me family,good friends, a best friend & sister, an outlet to express the gift He gave me. I am so blessed and I am certain that I'm on my journey to being pain free, truly alive and well. Here's to more poetry, stories, laughter and life. Happy New Year and God bless you real good.

Hairdos: Mother, Grandmother and I


I’m sitting on my little stool, in the living room, my heart beating just a little bit faster as the long hand on the clock creeps up. Somehow my armpits feel a bit wetter. I know that the door will creak open and ... and the door starts to creak open. I shoot off my stool and race into my parents bedroom and go under the bed. I had been planning this hideout for a while and I was certain that this time I won’t be caught.


"Tope"! My name rings out and I unknowingly shiver. "Why must we do this every time? I know you are hiding somewhere and sooner than later, I will find you, so why not come out and just let’s be done?" The voice fades off and I start to relax but the voice comes closer. "Honestly I don’t have time for this. When I catch you, it will not be funny!" The voice bounces all over the room until it bends over to my hideout and a hand shoots out and grabs me by the leg. Grandmother pulls me to the living room while rivulets of tears fall down my face.

Going to the hairdressers always took so long and ended unsuccessfully because I have a tender head. It had become a bi-weekly nuisance. One day, my mother snapped when she came and found me screaming like a sacrificial lamb while being held down by one hairdresser as the other tried to weave my hair. She paid the woman and marched me into her car with my hair uncompleted.

We got home and my Grandmother, who lived with us, looked at us with a smirk on her face. Mother and her were not the best of friends and mother tried her best to keep out of Grandmother's way. "So you have given up?" Grandmother beamed at my mother. My mom shook her head and said forlornly "I don’t know what to do. Maybe I should just shave her hair." I trembled at the thought and whined a big "no". I knew what happened to children who had shaved hair in my school. Everyone said they had head lice and teased them with the ‘gorimapa’ song.

Grandmother came to my rescue. ‘Let me finish it up for her and I’ll do her hair from now on. At least you will not have spend my son’s money needlessly." Grandmother ended somewhat triumphantly. Mom looked at her and let out what sounded like a grunt. I followed Grandmother willingly. Grandmother sat on the big chair and I sat on my little stool in between her legs.

Grandmother’s fat thighs suddenly clamped down on both sides of my head; holding my head so tight, I couldn’t hear anything. Her hands came over my head and like little needles poking at my head. It took me a while to find my voice because I was in shock. She finished up the weave just as my mother came out to see what was going on. "There! You see! Straightforward hairdressing. Done. All that money wasted when you had a true professional at home. And you, shut up!" Grandmother pushed me towards my mother, stood up re-tying her big wrapper around her waist and walked out of the living room.

"You see what you’ve caused now? Hmm? Mama will have something to say anytime you have to get your hair done! Left to me, I’ll just shave your head!" Mother said as she pulled me to herself and wiped my face. At that, I shouted "no". She echoed my voice. "No?! But every time you get your hair done, it is drama and disaster. What am I to do with you?" She scooped me in her arms and carried me into the bedroom where she gave me some paracetamol for my rising temperature and a cold orange Tree-Top drink. So I lay in my mother’s arms wondering how the next hairdressing time with my Grandmother was going to be. I didn’t have long to wait, it was two weeks coming.

Forgotten-The spirit of Christmas present

First posted on the 16th of December 2010


As we get into the swing and spirit of things about the season, it is very easy to see that the focus is less on the reason for the season and more on presents and food. Many have their wish lists as long as can be, many parents and people will be visiting the shops for every half price annd BOGOF deal they can get, many cards will be bought and given, many paper hats worn, silly jokes read and duly laughed at, many things that have absolutely nothing to do with the reason for the season.

Whether we like it or not, the reason we celebrate Christmas is because of the CHRIST in the mass, it is the mass about a gift from God to man, a sacrifice of love, an invitation across realms. The world has changed it to Xmas, put a fat man in red suit as its representation and made it all about what we can get and eat, but that is not why we should celebrate.

We should celebrate because in a world where many are dropping dead like flies, we are still alive, we should celebrate that we have certain freedoms that many don't have and in our celebration we should remember and pray for those who don't enjoy our pleasures no matter how simple.

This is the time to be a community, to reach out not only to your families but also your neighbours and just the person you meet as you walk down the street. A few weeks ago, it was reported that two elderly people died in their backyard in the snow and they had neighbours, but no one heard their cries for help, no one noticed until it was too late.

This is the season to emphasise kindness, love and friendship, many are lonely, without families, hope or joy. This is the time to have less things and more friends, it is the time to give love, for in giving, you receive. this is the time to show truly what God designed and meant when He sent Jesus to the world, That He sent Him as healing to a broken desolate world, as a symbol of love and hope to the empty hearted and lost.

My Christ is the reason why I celebrate this season, He is the gift I've received and the great thing is, He is a gift I can share and gladly I do. So as I wish you all my friends the usual greetings of this time, hear it differently from my lips to your hearts. Merry CHRISTmas and may we all have a New Year filled with joyous surprises.


Forgotten

Wrapping paper falls off
the Nintendo Wii;
the shaving mechanism, mysterious in its case;
the newest Take That CD;
the blender, shiny, never to be used;
the knitted jumper, garish in red and white;
the bath kit for someone with only a shower;
the perfume, chocolates, bottles of cheap wine.
Gifts mostly politely accepted, tucked away or
received in joy, set to use immediately.
Wrapping paper falls off and no one
notices the baby in the manger hidden
beneath them all.

Christmas Politeness

This was written on the 16th of December 2006 and its a bit out of date as we're now in January but do enjoy and please feel free to leave your comments. God bless (yeah I said it!)


The holidays are here and its the time to eat and be merry , see family (if you have any still talking to you) and gain weight you'll spend the entire next year trying to shift. But is it really? What happened to the Christ in the Mass? Yeah I've heard of all the baloo about it being a pagan holiday and the church hijacking it but wait a minute! it still doesn't mean that something phenomenal has happened! Christ was born and accept or not, His birth and death and resurrection has spun a whole multitude of people and events having something other than the madness of this world to cling to.

And yearly, ways are found to squeeze Him out of our lives, its like we are afraid to find out He is really alive, as my dad used to say 'The world denies that which it fears the most, hoping in denial will be safety' Sorry people, e no go happen! I belong to a writers' group and there are several people who just take delight in running down God, Jesus, the church and religion as a whole, I personally don't mind the last one but its the first three that really bother me and I ponder

what is man, that he thinks
it is gaeity to insult Diety?
with no knowledge of what comes
when that final curtain falls
wisdom would say you don't make friends that way
yet man raises his puny fists
shakes them at his own risk
how can you fight the Unseen?
aren't you scared you silly being?
if you can't plan your day to its very end
why tempt damnation that way?
no one's promised old age or a decent death or a bed
no one knows the time,
how , where and when so even
if you don't believe
couldn't you just resist besides,
your unbelief doesn't mean
God's not real.

Merry Christmas to all believers and Happy Holidays to those who don't, please enjoy it, you don't know, what tomorrow brings and we have the new year to look forward to. God bless us everyone!