Mom's are beautiful and the way they sacrifice is one of those attributes that contribute to thier beauty.  I remember when my brother and I were kids we loved animals and we would always bring animals home.  Mom on the hand was not as big of an animal lover as my brother and I.  She was never enthusiastic about having animals in the house but her sons?....Well, we would try to bring home just about everything.  I remeber having dogs, cats, turtles, salamanders, hamsters, guinea pigs etc. 

This week I thought about how my Mom's love for us motivated her to make sacrifices and allow us to keep some of these animals in the house even though it was not her thing.  Even when our pet turtle walked off the terrace of our 15th floor apartment she shared in our grief.  I am thankful everyday for my Mothers love and the examples she set. 

Mom you are forever missed, happy Mothers day! 

I have ‘something to say’ about ‘someone special’. You know certain people that you are extraordinary blessed to know. It is what they are which is what they do. It is as God took extra time to create them over us mere mortals. He blessed them with wisdom and knowledge and compassion. They are the ones when created, the heavenly host said more than “WOW” they “exploded with praises”. I must say that I have been blessed to know a few. This past week I was informed of the passing of Victoria Swilley.

My mother, Ma Charlene and Ma Victoria had a special bond that created a special bond between their three sons, me, Sampson, and Roger. It was as if the three wise women, guiding the three knuckle-heads. We had many moments of conversations, experiences, and growing together as six and as three.

Anyone that knew of Ma Victoria understands my words. Her wisdom was profound, her patience comforting, her beauty extra-ordinary and her presence a blessing… In the father’s creation of Ma Victoria He was well pleased. He set within her to heal the spirit of those that were hurting. Times in my life when I needed grace, understanding and correction because of my wrongdoing, I went to her. She didn’t fit any category, she fit every category. To say that she was ‘someone special’ wouldn’t fit; she was ‘everyone special’. Victoria Swilley the world is better because of you, however the world is emptier without you. –Enough Said.

My Sister Friend Victoria Swilley – a vibrant, intelligent, artistic woman – placed many discourses at my feet for some heated conversations. Like iron sharpening iron – the relationship was competitive but still loving in every way. We had strong opposite viewpoints, for instance about work – she hated working for corporate America and set out to do entrepreneurial art work – I worked and loved it in corporate America; about food - she was a veggie – I ate meat every chance I got;  about natural outdoors - she loved the natural outdoors, I’m definitely an in-door person; about our health – we had different opinions about what healthy foods to eat. It was our differences that brought us together and I believe our love for each other’s differences caused us to totally accept each other for who we are.  She helped me to see past the real into the imaginative especially with art.  She asked me once to describe a piece of art on her wall. I said it looked like a nice circular grayish metal piece of art with rustic hues of orange, blues and some red; I was at awe when Victoria told me it was a runned over garbage can top; and then that’s what it looked like – a flattened garbage can top. I laughed a little but went back to my former view of the garbage can top to appreciate it as an art piece.  Victoria and I - we helped each other to dig deeper about intellectual issues such as loving the self, how we can change the environment, racial issues and what our Black people are doing lately. She loved the movies, especially movies about specific noteworthy subject matters. I will miss our conversations and look forward to having them again.  All-n-all, she was a beautiful strong Black woman that I loved and will truly miss and will love again. RIP my friend (tears).