Motherhood Archives - Mind of Malaka

Disappearance and Displacement: What I Learned When I Went Back to Davistown

Posted on August 24, 2021
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

Displacement With a week left before I had to fly back to South Africa, I decided that another trip to Davistown, KY would be in order. When would I have this opportunity again? God and the ancestors had extended what was supposed to be a…

What I Told My 11-year-old About Her Body, Her Swimsuit, Judgement and Shame

Posted on July 29, 2021
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

Summer is in full swing and with it has come all the joys of the season:Lightning bugs on full bioluminescent display.Lips stained purple, red and blue from frozen popsicles sucked lazily through a plastic case.Bike rides, jump rope and asphalt turned a temporary chalky rainbow…

I’m Co-Parenting with an Inherently Violent Man. I’m Fearful of the Repercussions for My Child.

Posted on May 7, 2021
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

I have shared 35 years of friendship with the woman sitting across from me. There are tears in her eyes and her voice is trembling. "Did I tell you I found my father, Malaka? I found my dad." A lifetime of muttered prayers - secret,…

Desirability is Social Currency, and Other Epiphanies From a Lovelorn Teen

Posted on March 2, 2021
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

“Mom? Do you have a minute?” Please ask me for help getting juice out of the fridge. Please as me to pour you a bowl of cereal… Of course, the voice asking me for my attention was many years past the need for such assistance.…

You’re Dating a Man Who Cannot Afford to Pay His Child Support. Should You Pay it For Him?

Posted on February 16, 2021
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

Romans, friends, countrymen, lurkers and M.O.M readers; I come to you this day with the heat of blue flame coursing through my veins and the resolute determination of the water bear. Fear not! I come not with corona in my throat, but a question: Is…

Pride and Parenting

Posted on January 28, 2021
by Malaka
with 4 Comments

“Mom?” Crap. I had been summoned by my child. The pitch of her voice and query-tinged timbre with which my pseudonym had been uttered meant that the next words out of her mouth were going to cost me something. What was it this time? Money?…

My Preemie is Applying for Her First Job. How Did We Get Here So Fast?

Posted on January 9, 2021
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

The child who was once small enough to fit in the palm of my hand stood towering over me, tears brimming her eyes. “Are you crying?” “No,” she said. A renegade tear plunked down her cheek. She brushed it away, but that only opened up…

Your Creativity Matters: A Parable from the Toy Industry

Posted on August 11, 2020
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

In the early days of the Pandemic ™ and the massive loss of income and impact on livelihoods to follow, LLC Twitter dispensed its unique brand of sage advice: Why not just start your own business? This is the perfect time to become your own…

When COVID Hits Too Close To Home

Posted on July 26, 2020
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

Schools opened back up in South Africa for in-person attendance around a month ago. We decided it would be safe to allow the kids to go back for myriad reasons. The total student population at our school numbers less than 100, physical classes would be…

My Daughter Asked For Advice on Crushes and I –

Posted on June 24, 2020
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

I never thought I'd say it, but there are days when when I long for the simplicity of exploding diapers, hostile tantrums and 2am feedings. The same is not true for every mother, but I couldn't wait to hold conversations with my kids. I would…

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