I did not have patience for old people a few years ago. When they were ahead of me in line at a grocery store writing a check instead of using a debt or credit card, I'd sweat with anger. When the manager walked over to approve the check, I'd squint my eyes to avoid screaming. …
Continue reading ➞ Here’s why you should appreciate old people
Pastor Ernest Fields was honored at the City of Cleveland Black History Month Minister's Breakfast at Sunshine Cafe' in the Kinsman neighborhood on Feb. 27, 2019. CLEVELAND - City of Cleveland Chaplain Dave Gulley was determined to catch an early flight from Chicago to Cleveland so he could present an award to a man who…
Continue reading ➞ Cleveland’s inner-city ministers gather to honor one of their own
A chance meeting that made me rethink loneliness I met a man with a broken heart in the park today. I did not intend to meet the 73-year old. He was just walking my direction as I was walking in his. Sometimes when I don't feel like talking, I just give a fake smile and…
Continue reading ➞ How many miles does it take to walk off a broken heart?
It was not fun going to pick out a Christmas tree alone. The experience brought back memories of when I was a little girl, and picking out a tree was the highlight of my holiday. My parents would pack me and my four siblings into an old blue van. We’d pick up our parish priest…
Continue reading ➞ Putting up a tree alone can be an emotional experience
“Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold. Faith alone defends. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.” - Helen Keller Boys are a waste…
There were no black people in the town I grew up in. It wasn't until I went to Lorain Catholic High School my freshman year that I started making friends with people who were a different color than me. My first black friend was Dionne Gorham. We just clicked. It didn't matter that she was…
Making friends at St. Mary's Elementary School was easy. It just came natural to me. I think it helped that I was always a part of the "in" crowd. The "in" crowd in my class throughout my six years at St. Mary's consisted of five people - my best friend Sharon Miller, Tracy Dawson, Rob…
Continue reading ➞ Chapter 3 – Your cool circle of friends will help you get through school
There were three bedrooms in our home on Sassafras Drive. My parents were in one room, my brother had his own and the rest of us girls were in one room with double bunk beds. I didn't think twice about sharing a room with my three sisters. It was so fun. At the time, I…
Continue reading ➞ Chapter 2 – Childhood memories sustain you for a lifetime
Growing up as the oldest of five was a big responsibility for me. I can't count how many times my parents told me, "be a good example for your siblings." Over and over, I would want to do something bad, but then I would remember in my head what about Amy, Tony, Kelly and Mary? …
Continue reading ➞ Chapter I – Why I wrote a book for my nieces
Lent has got to be one of the most depressing times of the year. Everything is stark. The altar at the Catholic church I attend – Saint Paschal Baylon – is stripped. The large foliage behind the priest’s chair is gone. Instead, it’s off to one side of the church which seems to send the…
Continue reading ➞ Battling the starkness of Lent is a challenge
