While Thanksgiving was last week, I just wanna say it was one of the best ever for me. Not only did my mom come to visit, but I had the pleasure of having my brother coming to visit too. You may be thinking that it really isn't a big deal. It is a big deal to me and here's why. I sat racking my brain for days about the last time he and I sat down and even shared that holiday. I came up with Thanksgiving of 1997. That was 18 years ago y'all. Crazy right?
For two weeks, I've had the pleasure of just hanging out with him and catching up. Don't take your relationships for granted. Family matters. It's been a year of many change. For me, it was good to lay eyes on him for several reason. For my mom, it gave her the opportunity to lay eyes on both her children at the same time. It happens very rarely. I mean hardly ever. For my children, it was a chance to get to know their uncle better. My son needed that. In fact, I am hoping they will continue to bond better once he's gone. My brother is wise and he is a great dad. Did I mention, he makes great chocolate chip cookies too? Seriously, social media, cell phones, and the like have you thinking you are connected, and to some small degree, you are; but the personal touch, being in the presence of an individual are priceless moments compared to a screen or phone. I hate that he lives so far away. Texas is far y'all. Maybe I'll convince him to move to Virginia. Pray with me. By the way our Thanksgiving feast was all that. my sister and I put our toes in that meal. Everything was really tasty. We ended the night with family games which are always competitive and hysterically funny.
Last night, we watched The Wiz live with most of Black America. One of my closest girlfriends, discovered "Black Twitter." That was absolutely hilarious to me. I admit, I am a die hard Stephanie Mills fan. Girlfriend has some chops on her petite self and she can blow. Shanice Wilson had huge shoes to fill. For a complete newbie, I think she did a great job. The contemporary version left me satisfied and confirmed that there is room for more than one interpretation of anything. The costumes were colorful and bright and very well done. Evilene's make was absolutely flawless. I think the choreography was good too. I missed Toto but I understood that a live performance would probably be a bit much for the pooch to handle. Say what you will, there will always be some haters out there who are dedicated to the original or the Broadway stage play. It is not easy to pull off what that cast did but I think they did a great job. Shanice performed well for a first gig and no real training. She did not move me with her performance of "Home." Of course I must admit that that is my favorite song of all time and well no one does it like Stephanie Mills. It's impossible.
As has become the norm, acts of violence are happening everywhere. Some of us are appalled, others believe these acts are conspiracies designed to evoke fear, and others simply seem not to care. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, one thing is clear. Human life is no longer a valued commodity. We must be ever vigilant and even more prayerful. Life is but a vapor and while God has always made that clear, we need to embrace the thought.
On that note, I close by encouraging you to love your people well. Be intentional in your interactions and be present for the moments. God is always in the details. As Christmas approaches remember that there are folks who don't enjoy the holidays. Find a way to brighten their day. Then remember the less fortunate. They need you in non-holiday months too. Kindness doesn't cost a thing. Finally, remember Jesus is the reason for the season. Make sure that you reflect the love of Christ in all you do. The world needs to see His sacrificial love in you. Be blessed and by all means, be a blessing. Peace.
In Diva love,
Pam
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This blog had me very near tears!!
ReplyDeleteAwww!
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