If you’ve ever spent a day on a job at any point in your life, it’s very possible that you’ve felt like you were being crapped on by your employer. There’s just no way around that fact. How did you feel on days like that? Did you feel like quitting your job? Did the slight […]
When I go into my pediatrician’s office, there is a form I have to fill out for every visit. How many people live in the home? – 6 Does anyone smoke in the home or use tobacco products? – No Are there any fire arms in the home? – No Any pets? – Heck NO! […]
Today marks yet another sad day in our nation’s history. It seems like only yesterday that we were all reeling from the news of the massacre at Columbine, when in fact the school shooting happened thirteen years ago in 1999. In the unlikely event that you don’t know what I’m referring to, I’m talking about […]
12-12-12. It’s kind of sad looking at that number when you think about it. Today’s date has forced me to take a hard look at my own mortality and fragility. Unless you’ve discovered the fountain of eternal life or plan to freeze and unthaw yourself until the next century, none of us will ever see […]
I took the kids to Wal-Mart today to start our Christmas shopping. Under normal circumstances I would already be done with our holiday purchases, but I decided to delay the stress this year. I love Christmas. I love the spirit of giving, and hot cocoa on cold winter nights, and poinsettias and Lifetime holiday movie […]
I’m an American citizen, but I haven’t had the quintessential experience of growing up “Black in America”. Like so many children of mixed cultural heritage, I was called “African booty scratcher” and all manner of pejoratives by people whose skin looked just like me. In response, I shied away from “Black life” and sought refuge […]
Only a certain type of parent will understand the essence of what I am about to share. There is an adrenaline rush that does not soon wane when you have got your tired, gnarled, grubby little hands on an object so desired by your children that it is all your family eats, lives and breathes. […]
I trust that the Ghanaian elections are close enough that this post will not sway one voter one way or another. The candidates have all made their speeches, presented their proposals, and the die-hard party faithful for CPP, PPP, NDC, NPP and Ayariga will turn up to vote as they always have: along party lines. […]
As a woman who checked out of popular culture after the birth of my second child 7 years ago, I am asking this question sincerely. It was then that I decided that I didn’t want my kids watching anything on TV or hearing anything on the radio that would demean them as little girls and […]
Aya has a friend who hails from the Virgin Islands. Her name is Maddie. This particular girl got an American Girl doll for his birthday last year. “You do realize if I ge’ you this dall, it de only t’ing you geyin’ fuh your birthday, righ’?” her mother cautioned through slit eyes and teeth. The […]
Africa, a continent of chained Form Fives By Field Ruwe We, Form Fives a.k.a. Grade 12s are a people chained, facing the lit walls in the darkness of our own country. On the walls we watch our fantasies and desires. We see ourselves with a lot of money, one day living in luxury—in a […]
Ravi Zacharias once told a story about that I found hard to believe. He said when he was a young boy, his mother gave him a sweet treat and sent him outside to play. As he was walking down the sandy roads of his neighborhood, an eagle swooped down, clawed the side of his face, […]
You’ll have to forgive me MOM Squad, but the next few posts will be dedicated to retelling certain events from the Thanksgiving holiday. I know: how very passé. However it is in my best interest and yours as a reader for me to do so. A certain someone – who is probably slumped over a […]
They say there is no book on parenting, although volumes have been written on the subject. Raising a useful, well-functioning human being takes a lot of trial and error, luck and – at times – copious amounts of vodka. Or you could pray. I guess whichever works best in your world. I’ve never read a […]
Well MOM Squad; Black Friday is upon us once again! Some of you are excited. I can almost feel you trembling with anticipation. What’s that in your core? Ahhh…yes. You’re pulsating with glee at the very prospect of getting your clammy little hands on that tech goodie you’ve been looking forward to all year long […]
Every once in a while, someone will randomly add me to group on Facebook or throw a link on my wall expecting me to read/watch its contents. 97% of the time I do not. There’s just too much “stuff” competing for my attention in the social media realm However when Amma Bonsu raises the alarm […]
A rush of wind and leaves followed the women into the backdoor. Emily solemnly laid her bible on the coffee table and rested her head in the palm of her hand. Samantha rubbed her shoulders and cooed soothingly at her. Abiola looked around for something to do. As absurd as the whole affair was, she […]
I can’t afford to give you any background on this one folks. We’re going straight into M.O.M. Mode! Just buckle up and know that this is all based on true events. ***Lights fading out**** Abiola and Samantha were quiet for the most part of the 9 hour trip from Raleigh, NC to Huntsville, Al. It […]
*Warning. You already know what it is. You’re thinking it. I’m just saying it* Lawd have mercy. Maybe Mitt was on to something after all. Maybe it was all the color and infectious reverie on every set that had us blind to something more sinister on America’s gayest (i.e. happy) street. Perhaps we judged Mr. […]
I walked into the tail end of a conversation at work yesterday that left me annoyed, disturbed, and saddened. You meet all kinds of people in a retail environment, largely because the only requirement to work in retail is the possession of a functioning steady pulse. I guess I shouldn’t have been shocked by the […]
You know, sometimes I truly feel trapped by my culture. In my head and in my spirit, I have defined myself as an individual: a degreed Ghanaian-American with a family and goals of joining the literary elite. However when I step outside of the doors of my house – or venture into the world of […]