The holiday season is a time of sensory delight: festive lights, family gatherings, and the cozy scent of pine and spices. It has also come to be known as the “giving season,” driving a welcome surge in charity and volunteerism. Yet, this period has become increasingly dominated by commercialism. Following a day of gratitude (Thanksgiving), we plunge into the frantic consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Then the sudden pivot to charity on Giving Tuesday creates a sur

We are living in uncertain times. But if there is one thing we can be certain of, it is the transformative power of the arts. This year, we have seen unprecedented cuts to essential life-saving services provided by non-profit organizations. When funding is cut, attention rightly turns to necessities like food and shelter, and inevitably, the arts are affected, often the first activity to be stripped from the budget. I run an arts non-profit, and we are already seeing a decrea

A Case for Radical Self Care In Part I, I wrote about forgiveness, love, and compassion as acts of resistance. In this section, I would like to share an important method for surviving hardships, one that we far too often take for granted or neglect: Self Care. As 2020 tried to beat me down, I decided to embark on a journey of what I’ve termed radical self care. In order to reclaim my sense of inner well being, I had to turn inward and find my light, strength, and courage. I r

Recently, while participating in cleaning up a local park, I felt a sense of longing for my children. From as early as I can remember, I would take them with me on every service opportunity I participated in. With both of them now older and often away from home, I miss having them along. That longing was amplified when I saw a adults out serving with their children. I hope that more people would encourage young people to volunteer, not just to accumulate community service hou

In the process of raising my children, I am constantly being confronted with rather strong emotions. My family is made up of passionate, emotional, sensitive, strong-willed, and impulsive people (myself included). As you can imagine, emotions can run high, and what may seem like small problems or encounters can quickly escalate into full blown meltdowns. While I was growing up, I learned that it was okay to express the pleasant emotions, but no one needed to know about the

In February of 2018, I traveled with six amazing women to India. We called ourselves The Sisters of the Traveling Sari. I have so many wonderful memories and lessons learned from that trip, but spending a couple of days in Rishikesh by the Ganges River was, for me, the highlight of the journey. Rishikesh was the last destination before our trip back home. One of my friends and I decided to change our return plans and remain in Rishikesh for a few more days. On the morning tha

Mom, her daughters and grandchild The day is December 31, 2006. It is a warm summer morning in Nigeria. I wake up to my mother’s excitement about the New Year’s Eve party and fireworks that we are going to attend that evening. She tells me she has dropped off the van at the mechanic's to get brand new tires put on to make sure the car is in top shape for the journey. “You know how the roads are," she says. Around noon, we board the minivan; my husband, children, and a young