Today is my Great-Granny's birthday. The picture to the left here is a picture of me as a Young-Un, but what's not shown there is my Great-Granny who was actually standing on the veranda, leaning over the railing and smiling down at me. I distinctly remember how she looked in that picture; there was amusement (I was always a mischievous and curious child and I must have done or said something that tickled her and made her laugh), deep unconditional love, pride and ownership (my mother who lived nearby said she claimed me as her own the minute I was born). I am so sad that the picture got damaged in one of our moves and the whole left side of it was totally mush - destroyed.
This was where I grew up, under her watchful eye and under her protective and loving wing. My mother will remind me to this day that it was my Great-Granny who saved my life when I had horrible congestion as a baby and we had no nasal aspirator available but she was able to make me breathe again (don’t ask!). This was my safe haven where I felt and was shown unconditional, fierce, protective and never-ending love; where I learned how to think of others and share – no matter how small. One of my Love Languages is “Acts of Service” (ref: Gary Chapman), and I know I can attribute this to her as I distinctly remember her not eating until I got home, and sharing half of what she had with me or, or helping the neighbors. This is very different from “Giving/Receiving Gifts”; Acts of Service means you consider others and show your care and concern in whatever way you can to help meet their need. This continues to be one of my key guiding principles in life.
This was where I got prayed over, had all my spiritual baths, learnt how to do chores, got disciplined when I didn’t, ran before dawn to get sea-water from the beach nearby for her rituals, and made sure I got home before dark. This was where I sat at her feet and listened to Duppy stories on Full Moon nights with mangos floating around in a bucket of water, scared out of my wits but still squealing “Please Granny, one more!” She regaled us with funny yet informative fictional stories of Anansi, a West African tale of the mischievous Spider with his wisdom and trickeries, as well as the history of our Ancestors and their experiences dating as far back as to working on the pimento and banana plantations in Jamaica. When she was healthier, she would take me on walks in the same woods that she walked as a child with her Elders, and I know I saw and heard the whispers of our Past on those walks. I was never afraid as long as I was holding on to her big voluminous colorful Caribbean skirt, but I can recall skipping ahead every once in a while to chase some random bird, butterfly, or to pick a designated ‘bush’ for tea/medicine/spiritual bath.
This was where I saw ‘Things’ that other people couldn't see and she would validate what I saw and told me I was perfectly normal, that We had a gift that few had and that made Us special. She saw the same Things I saw too and I never had to explain anything to her when I did, because she always knew and would instantly start praying over me and anointing me to keep me safe. This was where people came to her for advice, prayers and healing.
This was where I sat and read stories from the Bible when her eyes got too old to see. One of her favorite stories was (and still is for me) the story of Ruth and Naomi. Ruth 1:16-17 is forever embedded in my heart. The Book of Revelations scared me though, but I plowed through when she asked me to read, and journeying from Genesis to Revelation with her, I learned about The Beginning and The End. As I grew older, I loved the wisdom of Proverbs, the romance of the Book of Solomon, the praise/supplications of The Psalms, and instructions for daily living found in Romans and Corinthians.
In the background in this picture was the chicken coop, and to the left of that was the stand-pipe where we got buckets of water or bathed at the end of the day “nekkid as a jay-bird” with not a care in the world. We had tomato bushes and herbs growing to the left of the house in the picture and to this day, when I get a whiff of certain herbs, I am transported back to that garden. Surrounding our house were other houses just as similar in structure where Grand-Uncles and Grand-Aunties and cousins all lived and cared for each other, and beyond the perimeter of our compound were neighbors who became an extension of our ‘family’. The adage “It takes a village” certainly rings true. This was where I laid in bed and watched clouds when I should be sleeping, and saw the face of Jesus in the cloud formation one day which had me running excitedly to tell her the good news. She was very happy that day and immediately sent me up the Hill to the Pastor at our Pentecostal Church to schedule my baptism. (*Truth be told, I had accidentally swallowed a guinep seed and thought I was going to die so I didn’t want to go to Hell and knew I needed to be ‘saved & sanctified’. God forgive me but I am cracking up as we speak at the memory!).
And this is where she died – at Home, with family at her side. Our dog howled that night, and I knew it was time.
In her I see my strength.
In her I see my fierce loyalty and protection for those I l love.
From her I learned that it takes a village; we all looked out for each other.
From her I garnered the Wisdom of the Elders as she taught me things I didn’t understand then, but I was able to process later as an adult as I studied Energy Medicine, and I still hear her voice, smell her and feel her presence when I am in need.
I miss everything about her and have such regret that I didn’t have more time with her. Happy Birthday, Granny. I love and miss you beyond measure.
Now please excuse me while I go cry quietly in the corner.
In good health,
Dr. Audrey Steele, Acupuncture Physician
www.Acupuncture4YourHealth.com
This was where I grew up, under her watchful eye and under her protective and loving wing. My mother will remind me to this day that it was my Great-Granny who saved my life when I had horrible congestion as a baby and we had no nasal aspirator available but she was able to make me breathe again (don’t ask!). This was my safe haven where I felt and was shown unconditional, fierce, protective and never-ending love; where I learned how to think of others and share – no matter how small. One of my Love Languages is “Acts of Service” (ref: Gary Chapman), and I know I can attribute this to her as I distinctly remember her not eating until I got home, and sharing half of what she had with me or, or helping the neighbors. This is very different from “Giving/Receiving Gifts”; Acts of Service means you consider others and show your care and concern in whatever way you can to help meet their need. This continues to be one of my key guiding principles in life.
This was where I got prayed over, had all my spiritual baths, learnt how to do chores, got disciplined when I didn’t, ran before dawn to get sea-water from the beach nearby for her rituals, and made sure I got home before dark. This was where I sat at her feet and listened to Duppy stories on Full Moon nights with mangos floating around in a bucket of water, scared out of my wits but still squealing “Please Granny, one more!” She regaled us with funny yet informative fictional stories of Anansi, a West African tale of the mischievous Spider with his wisdom and trickeries, as well as the history of our Ancestors and their experiences dating as far back as to working on the pimento and banana plantations in Jamaica. When she was healthier, she would take me on walks in the same woods that she walked as a child with her Elders, and I know I saw and heard the whispers of our Past on those walks. I was never afraid as long as I was holding on to her big voluminous colorful Caribbean skirt, but I can recall skipping ahead every once in a while to chase some random bird, butterfly, or to pick a designated ‘bush’ for tea/medicine/spiritual bath.
This was where I saw ‘Things’ that other people couldn't see and she would validate what I saw and told me I was perfectly normal, that We had a gift that few had and that made Us special. She saw the same Things I saw too and I never had to explain anything to her when I did, because she always knew and would instantly start praying over me and anointing me to keep me safe. This was where people came to her for advice, prayers and healing.
This was where I sat and read stories from the Bible when her eyes got too old to see. One of her favorite stories was (and still is for me) the story of Ruth and Naomi. Ruth 1:16-17 is forever embedded in my heart. The Book of Revelations scared me though, but I plowed through when she asked me to read, and journeying from Genesis to Revelation with her, I learned about The Beginning and The End. As I grew older, I loved the wisdom of Proverbs, the romance of the Book of Solomon, the praise/supplications of The Psalms, and instructions for daily living found in Romans and Corinthians.
In the background in this picture was the chicken coop, and to the left of that was the stand-pipe where we got buckets of water or bathed at the end of the day “nekkid as a jay-bird” with not a care in the world. We had tomato bushes and herbs growing to the left of the house in the picture and to this day, when I get a whiff of certain herbs, I am transported back to that garden. Surrounding our house were other houses just as similar in structure where Grand-Uncles and Grand-Aunties and cousins all lived and cared for each other, and beyond the perimeter of our compound were neighbors who became an extension of our ‘family’. The adage “It takes a village” certainly rings true. This was where I laid in bed and watched clouds when I should be sleeping, and saw the face of Jesus in the cloud formation one day which had me running excitedly to tell her the good news. She was very happy that day and immediately sent me up the Hill to the Pastor at our Pentecostal Church to schedule my baptism. (*Truth be told, I had accidentally swallowed a guinep seed and thought I was going to die so I didn’t want to go to Hell and knew I needed to be ‘saved & sanctified’. God forgive me but I am cracking up as we speak at the memory!).
And this is where she died – at Home, with family at her side. Our dog howled that night, and I knew it was time.
In her I see my strength.
In her I see my fierce loyalty and protection for those I l love.
From her I learned that it takes a village; we all looked out for each other.
From her I garnered the Wisdom of the Elders as she taught me things I didn’t understand then, but I was able to process later as an adult as I studied Energy Medicine, and I still hear her voice, smell her and feel her presence when I am in need.
I miss everything about her and have such regret that I didn’t have more time with her. Happy Birthday, Granny. I love and miss you beyond measure.
Now please excuse me while I go cry quietly in the corner.
In good health,
Dr. Audrey Steele, Acupuncture Physician
www.Acupuncture4YourHealth.com
