This week as I blissfully go about my daily business, it is with a little more deliberate effort at intentionally blocking out the sights and sounds associated with yet another school shooting massacre here on our own soil.
It should not be so surprising, and yet the horror of it, children being massacred in their own classrooms, by their peers, is the stuff that can stomp hope out of the most optimistic of hearts.
My teenager has almost no recollection of a time when school did not involve violence. There is of course, the daily meanness and bullying that seems to have happened in public schools since they were instituted in this country as a mechanism for socialization into the melting pot. But then there is also the unimaginable lockdown drills practiced on a regular basis that my son tells me he cannot talk to me about because it will be too upsetting to me. And then there are the drills that only the teachers prepare for... Teacher prep time used to be for grading, lesson planning, and designing the best hallway bulletin board in the school. Now it's for laminating dark poster paper to darken windows in the hopes that it will reduce the chances of an active shooter taking aim at a classroom window.
Yes, I have been putting a lot of effort into not thinking about it this week. Since I heard of the Santa Fe shooting last Friday, my approach has been, just don't think about it... I wonder how many of our business leaders, legislators and lawmakers follow suit with my attempt at self-imposed apathy? How many of our children have to do their best this week to "just not think about it..."? Is that the solution to problem solving that we are role modeling now? "Just don't think about it." If we do just pretend that the problem does not exist... will it actually cease to exist? If we wish to take the approach of the legendary ostrich in the sand... that is our choice, however, as we have learned from Columbine and Sandy Hook and Red Lake, and Pulse and Parkland and Santa Fe, we can forget and pretend and ignore and deny, but sooner or later, the reality is going to hit us too. If we continue to do nothing to support the action required to successfully ensure that gun violence never again plucks the hearts out of parents and siblings and peers who will never again touch the hands or kiss the cheeks of their loved ones, then inevitably this preventable public health epidemic of disasterous proportions will eventually touch each of us. Like one of the parents of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School said, "We didn't think it could be us."
We have choices to make. Sit and do nothing, or stand and deliver change into the waiting arms of our young people. Their ability to live is determined by our perseverence in maintaining our level of civic engagement in the process of democracy which by its very nature requires us to participate, share our views and work together to provide solutions. Together we can solve this crisis. Today if we all wanted to. Re-authorize the collection, compilation and analysis of gun violence data as the public health crisis that it is. Apply standard epidemiological, intervention and prevention procedures and practices. Fund local grassroots, community organizations to provide outreach, case management and harm reduction services. Do what has been proven to work through science. Replicate successful programming, not just in the property-tax-rich schools but in all neighborhoods, schools and organizations.
My 6 year old is counting the number of days left until the end of the school year. Today marks the 97th day since the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School at the northern edge of our public school district. How many more days will go by until we can all assure our Kindergarten children that it is safe for them to go to school....? What are we doing to ensure that day comes?
This Friday at Miramar Cultural Center, I will join with students from Parkland and throughout our Broward County School District and Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam to stand with them, listen, and help form a plan for action. What will you do...?
Poem dedicated to students of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School
13 years ago today I sat with my almost two-year-old son Mictla, under the stars of the Mesoamerican sky in one of the Plazas in the great city of Teotihuacan. We sat up all night by the fire watching the stars and listening to the ladies share stories, trying to keep warm, it was chilly up there in the hilly countryside of central Mexico. We danced at sunset and deep into the night. And at sunrise we got up and journeyed into the ancient city to the plaza at the base of a 5000 year old building now known as the temple of the moon.
There we prepared to meet tribal members of the great Hopi nation who had come running from their home territory to this ancient capital of Mesoamerica, bringing with them the memories that their grandparents held of a great connection that had been lost for over 500 years. A migration that had once occurred on a regular basis in order to account for the counting of time and to ensure that balance continues on our continent and among all our people.
Without any sleep and in the dry heat of the Sierra Madre mountains, it was very hard to dance that day. But it was a beautiful, epic moment. One of those moments that you know marks time for all of humanity. And so I just wanted to remember on this sunrise on the morning of March 20th, 2018. I wanted to take a few moments to remember and reflect on this amazing event that took place 13 years ago. And to honor the beauty that that memory has for me and to do what I can to pass that on...
Ometeotl.
Here's the link directly to this spot in the video :) we were watching the H2OPI Eagle dancers, then after, we shared our version of the Eagle dance. https://youtu.be/aoEY8XYJUyY?t=3457
Spring Equinox sunset at #MiramarPinelandPark 2018
And finally, a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has volunteered, shared, supported, fed and hired me this year. A special recognition to Broward Cultural Division, Puffin Foundation West, Inc. and the Broward Chapter of the United Nations Association for the support you all have provided this past year, without the encouragement, it would be difficult to get through the rough times!
Join me this Friday for a pop up celebration of #WorldWaterDay at #FTLhistory on the banks of the New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale.
Healing crisis is a constant necessity in today's complex, stratified, divisive society. The events that unfolded 9 days ago in #Parkland, near Coral Springs, Florida have pushed many of us to the tipping point. And yet, in communities throughout Florida and the US and around the world, crisis, especially children in crisis is an ongoing issue that has required attention for a very long time... generations in fact.
This week, while our attention south of the border has been on dealing with grief, funerals and the immediacy of school safety issues within the nation's sixth largest public school district, our neighbors to the north were dealt two completely independent court decisions in which the killing of two Indigenous youth by two different people, in two different provinces, in two very distinct circumstances, both resulted in European males receiving not guilty verdicts, while the children victims are no longer alive to tell their side of the story.
It is imperative that we all employ our intrinsic critical thinking skills in everyday decision making. Especially so in this day and age. It is equally important that we also take time to allow the growth, repair and healing of our emotional skills as well.
We need both, together, integrated and healthy. After a week like this, wholeness and restoration of wellbeing is going to take some time and effort. The students, teachers, healers, counsellors, administrators and decision makers must all be included in efforts to intentionally regain wellness, within our selves, families and communities.
Here are a couple of resources courtesy of thunderbirdpf.org that have helped other communities move forward after experiencing traumatic crises. Check em out. See what you think. Call,text, msg. Reach out. Let's chat. Let's build together!!
Strolling along what seemed like an endless sidewalk down Dade Avenue on this 200th anniversary of the start of the Seminole Wars... I happened to spark up a conversation with one of my co-walkers. Till that moment, I truly had no idea so many of the fair goers were out-of-towners travelling to South Florida just specifically to take in #art. Art Basel 2017 is officially a wrap having shown approximately $3.5 billion work of art, and seeing over 82,000 participants [see press release and end of show report] .
...reminds me of #CometotheWell
(photo: T. Chadwick)
According to artsy.net, the Pace Gallery had a successful run, placing one work worth $12 million. The show’s new layout was so much easier to
follow and navigate, with beautiful hanging garden center lounge areas. I did miss
the delicious, stadium priced lunch offerings, although the BC taco truck
outside did a wonderful job of filling the afternoon void with delicious shrimp
tacos and “avocado salsa.”
Pace Gallery (photo: T. Chadwick)
Inside the walls of Art Basel, I found a whimsical and
wondrous survey that pushes my boundaries of contemporary art. From plastic
bags to classic painting and sculpture to, my favorites:
performance, kinetic and live painting, this show truly had something for
everyone to enjoy.
Mexico City Mural in Miami Beach
(Thursday photo: T. Chadwick)
Mexico City Mural in Miami Beach
(Friday photo: T. Chadwick)
Of these, I really enjoyed watching the mural in process
presented as part of Mexico City's #RestorationofaMural. To my North American eye, the overlays of
vellum on painted campaign slogans was unexpected, a little jarring, and,
similar to my own recent political experiences, I couldn’t figure out if the
art was for or against the will of the majority of the people. The tools,
brushes, and process of creating circles and lines took me back to the 9th
grade computer class called “data,” where everything we ever wanted to program had
to be rendered as a circle or a line. Watching the muralist and assistant add
elements of the mural was almost like watching an archaeological excavation in
reverse. Careful measurements, ancient techniques, tools for the future.
#Reparations David Castillo Gallery
(photo: T. Chadwick)
‘This year’s show definitely had a great energy with its new look, and our booth was extremely well-received. Within the first two hours of the fair, some of our gallery’s most important clients came to the booth. With the sale of a major Lyle Ashton Harris piece and an important group of clients visiting us early on in the fair, it is clear that this year’s fair was punctuated by significant collectors in attendance and as always, there was interest from buyers early on in the show.’ David Castillo, Owner, David Castillo Gallery, Miami Beach (In quotes from Art Basel post show press release.)
...miscellaneous unnamed photos, except for Maggie by #ChuckClose...
(photos: T. Chadwick)
Basel blog – Art Basel Conversations
#EdgarHeapofBirds discussing #Indigenous #Art
(photo: T. Chadwick)
One of the problems I’ve had with Art Basel and contemporary
art in general, is that distinction between what one of the art experts this
week describes as “pastoral” art versus the elevated stature and value of
“fine” art. For example, there were many examples of fabric art during this
year’s Art Basel show, one of these was a giant, larger-than-life
pseudo-dreamcatcher created by an artist in the UK. When I first set eyes upon
the purple and black mass I was surprised, since generally in fine art shows
such as Art Basel, this type of work is relegated to the low rank of “craft” or
“tribal art.” Immediately I looked closer to see if I could see the origin
story of the dreamcatcher woven within the fabric. As I surveyed the types of
twists and turns used in the weaving, sadly, I saw nothing representing the
cultural teachings or history that traditional dreamcatchers convey, in fact to
me this weaving was empty. An empty shell, a hollow reproduction of a
traditional art form containing nothing of the beauty and love that it is meant
to hold. I still wonder about the artist and their intent in making this piece,
but more, I wonder about the gallery that decided to choose this as their main
showcase. What were they thinking? That Indigenous art forms co-opted by white
European artists are flattering? Honoring? Even when indigenous people
themselves are not welcomed to participate as artists, curators or even spokes
people?
#RichardHughes Birmingham, UK
(photo: T. Chadwick)
Seeing the Art Basel Conversation titled “What of Indigenous
Art Now” was a boon to me. I was so excited that someone decided to bring this
topic to the conversation. For too many years, I’ve seen incredible Indigenous
artists, with traditional, folk and contemporary styles, struggle to make ends
meet… invisible in the art magazines… absent from the juried shows… neglected
by collectors and curators. This is changing. But way too slowly. And still,
European artists using Indigenous themes get much more recognition and
appraisal value than Indigenous artists using any theme.
#Oaxaca
(photo: T. Chadwick)
I was so glad to be
able to take part in this conversation. In fact, it was, in part, a
retrospective on Indigenous Art over the past #525yearsofresistanceandsurvival,
it’s been 25 years since 1992. Many of the prominent Native owned and operated
galleries have since closed their doors. But there are a few still in
operation, and a few that have opened since the Sesquicentennial resurgence of
Indigenous art. In my view, the more we have conversations that lead to strategies
for how the arts and business community can best support artists and especially,
Indigenous artists, the stronger our community will grow together.
[Links to the program are available here: ... Indigenous Art Now... and below you can watch the official recording of the "What of Indigenous Art Now?" #ARTBASEL conversation - my remarks can be heard at minute 42]
Basel Blog – #ArtMiami
#ArtMiami / #Context
(photo: T. Chadwick)
This year, once again, I didn’t get to Pinta, Superfine, Red
Dot, Context, Untitled or Scope. I really do wish I’d had time to make it over
to Scope, as I enjoyed the Conversation with Edgar Heap of Birds about
the interconnection between art and history. I particularly wanted to see the “sign
post” he did marking this land as Tequesta territory, a site specific artwork
in relation to the Miami Circle just a few miles away.If anyone happened to snap a pic of it, I’d
surely appreciate having a glimpse!
#AndyWarhol at super stuffy Archeous/ Post Modern
(photo: T. Chadwick)
I also wanted to get to Context because I’m interested in
comparing the overall content between each show. Surprisingly, I found Art Miami
to have a more standoffish feel than Art Basel, something I was definitely not
expecting! My favorite aspects of this show, like Basel, were in the margins… “Unleashed”
had an inspiring piece in the entry way featuring a world map in thread, surrounded
by fabric strips of messages by fair goers, flanked by multiple display screens
flashing still and video images of colourful fashions and wearable art from
India and Asia.
#Unleashed #ConnectingThreads @ Art Miami
(photo: T. Chadwick)
My other favorite piece from Art Miami was “DeepSee,” an incredible
collaborative experience integrating natural vegetation, visual art and visual
reality, all with an action based intended outcome of raising awareness,
interest and motivating everyone to set a goal to take at least one action to support
the earth’s ability to heal herself from the daily stress we inflict upon
her.I loved being able to literally
step inside of the beautifully painted canoe and although I generally dislike
the popular innovation of virtual reality imaging, this VR canoe journey was so
very beautiful with its overlapping integration of earth, space and water
travel, it was impossible not to love.Congrats to Dita, Jared, Houston and the FIU advisory council for
creating this inspiring experience.
Although I’m fairly new to the Art Basel scene (this was
only my 3rd year attending events at Miami’s signature week of high profile,
contemporary art fairs which include but are certainly not limited to the
world-renowned #ArtBasel,) I loved my inaugural experience
with the Basel House Mural Festival.
#SFLBloggers
(photo: T. Chadwick)
Even before attending my first Miami Art Week events three
years ago, I’d heard the perspective of local South Florida artists who too
often struggle for recognition, attention of gallery and representatives, and interest in their work
from the local and global community. Basel House set out to address this
problem by showcasing a few of the artists that have infamized the walls of
Miami’s Wynwood Arts District.
#Wynwood #Wall Tag
(photo: T. Chadwick)
As a kid, this was the factory outlet side of town – large, vacant industrial lots, warehouses, some still used for direct and commercial sales of shoes, washing machines, and bric-a-brack, now almost unrecognizable due to the incredible splashes of colour disguising every wall, coffee shops and cute little trendy places to eat, drink and be merry.
...before...
(Friday photo: T. Chadwick)
Basel House Mural Festival took place between the old RC Cola Plant and Wynwood Brewing Co. It was an homage to the street artists who work every day to bring color and consciousness to our concrete jungle. Featured artist Ruben Uribe is a masterful installation and graphic artist who describes his style as “post graffism popular urban art.”
The opening was unlike any other I’d ever experienced
complete with Rolling Stones sponsored ice cream, a delicious dinner bar
of salad, quinoa and paella, and as much kombucha as you dared to consume… One
of the marketing pieces I enjoyed was the live screen printing of Basel House cloth
tote bags to hold all your swag for the night.It was a great evening to connect with the beauty of what local mural
art brings to Miami during Art Basel and all year through.
I love art, but I’m not one to party much… don’t get me
wrong, I love dressing up as much as the next kid, but I’d rather go see a live
orchestra, ballet or jazz performance than try to strike up meaningless
conversations with a thousand people I don’t know and still won’t know
tomorrow.That said, I did enjoy the hubbub
of going to the “Basel Brunch” at the Sagamore this weekend. Rain pouring. Wind
whirling through what’s left of the art deco buildings my grandmother skipped past
as an 8-year-old in 1931, on her way to spend her day on the beach while her
mother tended her ailing father under a prescribed winter in Florida, the antidote
to his WWI inflicted health issues. The rivers of rainwater filled the streets
as we searched for a semi-safe spot to cross the deluge.
Our first stop was the Muse Art Exhibit, a miniature version
of the much-anticipated Muse Art Fair, scheduled for launch during Art Miami
Wee 2018. Housed in the front lobby of the Hampton Inn, curator and lead
organizer Q stopped to chat about the exhibit and plans for the 2018 art fair.
Then we dashed off in the rain across the street to the
Sagamore. It was my first time to the iconic beach front property... filled
with a warm mass of dripping wet bodies, this brunch was jam packed with
several hundred of the most hard and happy art lovers on the beach. Despite the
torrential downpour outside, Basel Brunch goers were chipper, friendly and happy
to be inside. Pastries and mimosas abounded and freshly made crepes were the
finishing touch to a very well attended event, especially considering the extremely
wet weather. On our way out the door, turkey and cheese crepes in hand, we
noticed that the late arrivers were all lined up outside, being kept at bay by
the doormen relating that the space was at capacity and could hold no more. Grateful, we stepped back out into the torrent.
I did’t get to Prizm Art fair last weekend, but it’s not too
late! Prizm, like Art Africa Miami, which I was able to attend during Miami Art
Week, are both still open to the public. I am so glad
about this because last year I found more art I loved at Prizm than at Basel. Prizm is open through this Sunday, December 17th so don't miss it.
Similarly,
Art Africa Miami was filled with large scale treats for the senses. Fabric paintings,
sculptures, etched light box prints… two galleries full of fantastic fun and
fearless art.These bold works spoke
volumes about our place, as people of color, living in the United States, Miami
in particular, reflecting our current circumstance and bringing with us an unbreakablebond to our ancestors and the ancestral
homelands that continue to nurture and sustain us over the course of
generations….
This month, Fort Lauderdale Historical Society has the
distinct honor of featuring the photographic work of JohnBob Carlos in the
world premiere of his first solo show: Healing Waters. JohnBob’s work focuses on the intrinsic and often unseen
beauty of the imperiled Florida everglades. During the opening held last week,
JohnBob shared stories of the multi day journeys he took to capture each intriguing
image, often encountering pieces of our history long forgotten.
At a special encore of the opening preview, in celebration of International Human Rights Day, Miccosukee Grandmother Betty Osceola shared her thoughts about the exhibition and the images that reflect the home, lifeways and future of her people. “We are a reflection of the earth,
we are the earth. If we heal ourselves, then we will also heal the earth.”For Betty, the images remind her of being in
those places, and of the life that surrounds us.“These everglades, they belong to all of us.
The are all our responsibility…The
everglades are the kidneys of the world, just like the Amazon are the lungs of
the world. What will we do if these kidneys stop working? Put them on a
machine? Well, eventually we know, machines will break down. So, what then…?”
Take a moment to come experience these inspired images and
take home a print of your favorite one to remember: if we heal ourselves, we
will heal the earth.
Healing Waters: The
Photography of JohnBob Carlos
On view at
HistoryFortLauderdale.org
Through January 28th
Basel blog – action!
The role of art in our societies no matter where on the
earth or at what point in history, has always been to inspire, to reflect, to
communicate, and to express…Life is
art. Art is life. Let us rise up together and take hold of both. Put aside all
the myriad daily tasks that must still get done. And take the time, just for a
moment or two, to enjoy the art that exists all around us and the effect it has
on our bodies, minds and spirits. Let’s take a second or two to be thankful for
that “food” that art brings to our lives. And then pick up the phone or open up
a blank email and communicate to our own state legislators that we value art
and the artists who make art, and we want to support art, artists and arts
organizations to continue flowing, through tax programs, charitable donations
that are tax deductible, grant programs, investment and incentives that
encourage and support art.
Yours truly #ByeBasel #selfie
Beyond Basel Saturday, December 16th, Tara Chadwick
will be sharing some of her particular style of "performance" art with the community in the Sistrunk
Neighborhood, everyone is welcome to attend. And on Tuesday, December 19th, a community tour of the #NativeArtattheCannonball exhibit is being offered to #Sistrunk residents and the public at 2 pm.
We make the road by walking... an old proverb, cliche even, but words of wisdom which I find myself even more in need of these days than usual.
Spent the day at #MAMP2017 with an incredible cadre of artists, businesses, organizations, administrators and consumers of every type and genre of art you can imagine.
Thanks to a gracious last minute scholarship from #BrowardArts for this sold out conference, I got a whole lot of tips, tricks, advise and more importantly practice in translating what I do to an audience of potential donors, supporters, sponsors and funders. It was not an easy task by any means!
Definitely need a lot more practice to hone those communication skills to transfer my messaging to a group of investors, so different from the cozy, like minded social networks I'm used to operating within. Nope, this was my version of shark tank - and I actually get along quite well with sharks, just not humans who think like them! Far far removed from the ideals of community wellness and readiness for behavior change that are more familar terrain for me. Interesting thing is, though, the desired outcomes for influencing behavior, motivating action and evaluating impact still shine through! So maybe its just the process and jargon that seem so divergent. In any case, the day sure got me thinking, stretching, learning and appreciating the opportunity to meet some sparkling colleagues, allies and experts in this vast field we know as a fundamental right and necessity for all people of all ages... art.
It's Basel time here in South Florida. Art Basel Miami started out nearly two decades ago as a hoite-toite contemporary art show that corresponded to the longer running #MiamiArtWeek. This was in the days when Wynwood was still that part of town that nobody went to, unless you happen to live there, or you went looking with your family for a cheap pair of shoes factory-direct.
A photo posted by Tara Chadwick (@bawshkeengwabigun) on
Photo credit: Adrienne Chadwick
Wynwood these days is the heart of what an international influx of people-who-value-art can do in a community. Don't get me wrong, Wynwood is about Miami, and Art Basel is all about people coming to Miami to experience international contemporary art in the setting, that quintessential ambience that is South Florida.
And local folks are catching the Basel bug big time. Over the past ten years, more and more you hear Basel becoming part of the year round conversations on art, exhibitions and museum planning. It's an informal kick off, so to speak, of what we call "the season." No, not the holidays - the season extends way beyond them. It's that time of year when the leaves start changing and the bulk of our states 100+ million visitors start making their way through our ports and into our streets, shops and parking spaces. So when you're visiting Basel, your transportation experience will likely mirror the patience with which we Floridians take every October through April...
But overall we have come to love Basel - with all it's internationalism, luxury and let's face it, buying power. This art show is about featuring art with the hopes that it will be snapped up by one of the many big name art collectors, who is in turn, hoping that their chosen pieces will beat the markets in their return on investment.
Turns out, art is as good an investment as any - and there's no shortage of amazing artists here in South Florida - we're just in need of a bit more encouragement into the realm of fearless innovation to spark our creativity outside the boxes that we all grow so comfortable with here, maybe it's the marine soil. So, in a way Art Basel's focus on international art is good for us, stretches our conceptions of what makes good art.
I'm looking forward to what Basel has in store for us this year... hoping to find some inspiration for the future of our species and the planet we inhabit... maybe some reflections of my wildest good dreams... and who knows, maybe I'll even find that one piece that will last a lifetime - one that includes some perspective on the world we're fighting to create... one based on investments in #truth #dignity #liberty #jutice
So, the year that I turned 13, I had the ultimate summer vacation. It started off with a 6th grade graduation ceremony from the Montessori School I'd just aged out of (yes, it was still called graduation back then, not promotion or moving up or completion like we do now with any non-twelfth-grade achievement). We started out with a one day cruise to Freeport aboard the Sea Escape. Ugh, the absolute most miserable day of my life - except for the few hours we got to spend on that lovely solid Bahamian soil... how I wish we could have stayed, but eventually, we did make it back to good ol mainland USA. Thankfully!
Me, my sister Adrienne and my late cousin Sharane eating tamales at the Belmopan market, still my favorite food.
Soon after, we took a whirlwind trip to Belize, not uncommon for us in those days, while Mom and Dad were both working, we took a family trip home most every year. This one was a bit shorter than most, as we had my cousin Sharane along, it was her first time to Belize. It was pretty funny, the process of her acculturation - apparently her dad wasn't as adamant as my Mom when it came to passing on the subtleties of Belizean language and culture. "What's a shilling?" and "There's not even a 7-11" were the two most memorable Sharane quotes of the trip.
And then finally, to round out the summer, I still got to take my annual trip to my own hometown of Scarborough to visit with my grandparents and aunt and uncle. I loved those trips more than anything else in the world. The connection to the land that I experience in Belize and in Canada are so similar and yet so different. My return to "real life" in Scarborough was always an experience in going home to my grandparents. Those beings who exuded so much unconditional love for me, that I can still feel it today, decades after their passing.
That year, an amazing thing happened. I got to stay in Canada. My options were bus to Miami Lakes Jr. High, or walk to Carol City Jr. High. This was the 1980s - the advent of gun violence in schools was just starting to top the news charts, and metal detectors had just arrived at the front entrance of the latter. I got accepted to Pace too, but that seemed way too far from my reality to be a good fit.
So, my aunt, Andrea Chadwick-Maguire, extended an invitation to my parents to consider allowing me to stay in the Toronto area that year and attend Fern Hill School in Oakville where she would be teaching. I was ecstatic. I could not believe that my parents said yes!
That year, I studied Latin, learned Ukranian dance, got a steady job babysitting, and spent every weekend with my beloved grandparents. For my birthday, I got my first ever hair cut at a barber shop. Mullet head. I was so proud! I even started wearing eyeliner for the first time... much to my mother's discontent. It was a momentous part of my life journey, now looking back. That ability to forge an identity outside of my parental expectations allowed me to grow into the determined, rebellious, hopeful idealist that I still am today.
At the conclusion of my school year, maybe around this very time, I got a call from my mom, not unusual, I did miss my family and my baby sister Adrienne quite a lot during the year, even though I loved being where I was. But this call was quite different. My mom had something to tell me... and she was hesitant, like she didn't know what to say or how to say it. If you know my mother, this is a trait that is quite uncharacteristic of her. I owe my blunt, undiplomatic, say-it-how-it-is nature to her.
Finally, she said, "I'm going to have another baby." I was floored, flabergasted, completely in disbelief. I think my reply was something like, "What?! You didn't even ask me!" Ha ha. Pretty funny now thinking back. But honestly, I could not even fathom the possibility of my 37 year old mother even being able to still have a baby. A baby!!! OMG. This changes everything!
So, another trip to Belize that summer! This time, with Mom waddling around in her Yucatec-style huipil... that was the year she took us to Xunantunich and declared, "You know you're part Maya too, right, Tara." Another "WHAT? How could you not have told me this," response from me.
And of course I, as the big sister of the family, felt obligated to return to my family and take up my daughterly duties. Reina was born on the first month of the year. She was noisy! I got up and brought her into bed with me every morning at 2 am when I could not bear to hear her crying anymore. After her, I never wanted to have kids. Or at least not for another 13 years anyway. But I learned how to be a mother through Reina.
My baby baby sister is truly one of the most special people in my life. She is practical, super smart and she has always had an incredible gift for maintaining a healthy balance between work, life, family and community. This girl is definitely one of the sparkles in my eye. I graduated from Miramar High School just as she was entering grade school at Fairway Elementary. I left home when she was so little. More than anyone, this time, away at college, I missed Reina. So whenever I had a chance, I bought a plane ticket and brought her with me to work. Chippewas of M'Njikaning, Center for Indigenous Theater, Belize Department of Archaeology... Reina came to visit. It was fun, for me a way to mitigate our isolation from one another.
Today, my sister Reina, like our other sister Adrienne, has become a friend, role model and mentor for me. Reina's passion and adeptness at marketing, public relations and communication has spurred me to look at the way we promote our businesses in a new way. Regardless of whether they are arts, community, small business or non profit organizations, maximum reach is crucial to the sustainability of our work.
Now she's on me to grow again... that's her other gift, in addition to always seeking the best possible position for her clients, she is also all about making sure that we are all placing appropriate value on ourselves as well...
Thanks for always encouraging me Reina. Without you, I would never have started to blog, or learn how to use social media. I look forward to what the future holds for you, my baby sis. Till then, I better keep on truckin' or I know I'll get a call with some "encouragement"... :)
