February Brings A Gentle Reminder to Cultivate & Nourish
Along the path, we tap into the collective roots of family and friends and learn ways to transform challenges and disappointments into opportunities and celebrations!
Rio Nuevo Beach, Jamaica
February always takes a front row seat on my calendar. I love that it’s second to January with none of the pressure of goal setting and self -evaluation that comes with the first month in the New Year. It is also the birth month of four important people in my life. The fact that it is African American Heritage Month always pushes me to reflect on how wonderful it is to be part of a community with strong roots in courage and confidence. It is empowering to know you are part of a tribe of family and friends who know how to strive and nurture, reminding you of your own responsibility to reach out a hand to pull another along on the path as others have done for you. This is an important part of my lineage that’s rooted in the understanding that we cannot achieve marching single file. The power lies in the collective roots of my family and friends where we learn how to transform challenges and obstacles into opportunities and celebrations.
Rio Nuevo River, Jamaica
I was reminded of this on a recent trip to Jamaica when a simple visit became a kind of pilgrimage that knitted the bond between my youngest child, my mother, and me. Simple activities like eating a meal, sitting in each other’s company in quiet talk, or visiting the land purchased by my great grandfather in 1889 became moments of great significance reminding us that there are simple and refreshing ways to be in the world. These are empowering experiences that lead to a culture of strength. I love that there is time on the calendar to pause and think about these things. With its call to celebrate the roots of heritage, February brings a gentle reminder to cultivate and nourish…. to step out in new directions for the year is waiting to be filled with new adventures.
Circle of Friends, International 
“We cannot achieve marching single file. The power lies in the collective roots of my family and friends…. ” (Marva McLean) this statement resonated very strongly with me because for some reason, despite a deep love for family and friends , there has always been an underlying feeling of not being fully ‘rooted’ in a community of family or friends along my journey. Perhaps the result of an incorrect understanding of what it means to be “independent”. Time to reassess and change this paradigm….hopefully not too late.
While this philosophy drives everything that I do, I must admit that it is always a challenge to foster, nurture, and sustain the relationships that keep us rooted. I find that I have to stay true and firm in my belief and approach and even when the wind is knocked out of me [and it is from time to time] to keep going, firm in my resolve. I suggest that you find and focus on one small area of your community of friends/family and keep working on it even if you have only one other person on board with you. Your sincerity and commitment will carry you through no matter what.