February 13, 2010
Dear Boys,
I want you to see what I see, the beauty in life and the realities. The challenges and lessons you will experience and encounter because of who you are. You have the knowledge you need in order to equip yourself with crucial information that will protect your identity, and arm your heart and brain. Knowledge is important and information will help you to direct what path you should take. Always go with your first instinct because it is usually the correct one. You will come across some people who will not always be kind but you will have to know how to take the good, and sift out the bad. You will have to look within yourself for your confidence and strength. Know that your forefathers were great kings and came from royalty, and that you have a rich and vibrant history. Thinking, writing, and math count. Do not let anybody tell you otherwise! Remember you do have skills and abilities and you can become whatever you want. Be respectful but question injustices and speak against wrong-doings. Protect the environment and never hurt any creatures intentionally. Love life, and enjoy the company of close friends and family. Be independent and learn to provide for yourself. Cooking does matter. Try not to eat too much junk food and eat food that will nourish and allow your body to grow. Remember your body is a special temple and you must take care of it. Exercising is imperative to maintaining a healthy heart and mind. Surround your heart with happy thoughts and positive people. Happiness and romance is important to living longer. Utilize the Internet system to assist you with your courses and your assignments but do not become so attached to the Internet that it controls everything around you. Do not take shortcuts in life because it only leads to negative results, the journey taken slowly will have lasting effects. Jail is not a pretty place to rest your head so think before you do and use your human resources around you to help you make sound decisions. Money is not everything in life but a happy heart is.
Realize that sometimes there will be hardships and difficulties but know that you can overcome them. Believe in a better world, a higher calling and know that someone is watching over you. Laugh, cry, but laugh more and take every day as it comes. Be neat, organized, and clean and never settle for mediocrity but rather strive for excellence. Ask and ask more questions and probe deeper to uncertainties and issues.
Spread your wings and explore your talents and gifts. Remember you come from excellence and greatness. This is what I want for you. To love and share the truth with those around you and to give back to those who assisted you. No matter where I go my spirit will always live on.
You are my pride and joy.
Love Mom
Sunday, March 28, 2010
LEGATO
Responding to the smooth rhythms
I arch my arms
building the pride of my ancestry.
The movement of my fingers
speaks to my emotions.
The circling of my head
indicates the wealth of my history.
The movement of my hips
describes who I am.
The length of my legs
embraces my passion.
The strength of my feet
expresses the power of my core.
The shape of my lips
pulls my heart and make connections.
The flickering of my eyes
alerts me to the cause.
The form of my body
builds strength to be free.
I arch my arms
building the pride of my ancestry.
The movement of my fingers
speaks to my emotions.
The circling of my head
indicates the wealth of my history.
The movement of my hips
describes who I am.
The length of my legs
embraces my passion.
The strength of my feet
expresses the power of my core.
The shape of my lips
pulls my heart and make connections.
The flickering of my eyes
alerts me to the cause.
The form of my body
builds strength to be free.
A Stranger in My Own Land
What you know, I do not know.
You analyze and decode information while I struggle to find meaning.
How can we be so far apart and still in the same education system of learning?
I say I did not learn it! But
You say I did! You say you taught me but you didn’t
I say, again, I really did not learn it!
You look at me and see what you want to see.
I want you to see me instead.
You shrug your shoulders and scratch your head.
And still I tell you; I do not see the connections.
And you look at me trying to figure out what went wrong.
Rather than show me, you do it for me.
Don’t rescue me. Teach me so I can rescue myself.
I am afraid of being ridiculed.
But I’m not afraid of trying again.
I am a stranger in my own land.
Teachers do not understand how I learn, how I retain and make sense of information.
Our experiences are to be valued.
They are our partners in education.
I wonder if education was meant to be!
Did those who wrote the books really see me? Really understand me?
How can we ensure that all students learn, understand and are able to know that a verb, noun, adjective, adverb, and all those other dangling particles are important to your language!
Your speech! Your identity! Yes, how to write and what you say are viewed later in society.
If you really do not know what you are doing, how can you make changes?
I see this everyday.
The struggles that some have with writing, reading and math while others move smoothly across the page producing something beautiful.
Or have they too struggled through the system that doesn’t recognize them?
Identity!
There it is again.
Does it really matter?
Does it count for anything?
Does it affect my ability to process information?
Can we move past this and begin to build on what was never learned, taught, or valued?
Can I know what you know?
See my face and understand my struggles. See my face and know that the battle is every day.
We don’t see things the same
I am your child.
I am ready to learn.
Will you teach me?
You analyze and decode information while I struggle to find meaning.
How can we be so far apart and still in the same education system of learning?
I say I did not learn it! But
You say I did! You say you taught me but you didn’t
I say, again, I really did not learn it!
You look at me and see what you want to see.
I want you to see me instead.
You shrug your shoulders and scratch your head.
And still I tell you; I do not see the connections.
And you look at me trying to figure out what went wrong.
Rather than show me, you do it for me.
Don’t rescue me. Teach me so I can rescue myself.
I am afraid of being ridiculed.
But I’m not afraid of trying again.
I am a stranger in my own land.
Teachers do not understand how I learn, how I retain and make sense of information.
Our experiences are to be valued.
They are our partners in education.
I wonder if education was meant to be!
Did those who wrote the books really see me? Really understand me?
How can we ensure that all students learn, understand and are able to know that a verb, noun, adjective, adverb, and all those other dangling particles are important to your language!
Your speech! Your identity! Yes, how to write and what you say are viewed later in society.
If you really do not know what you are doing, how can you make changes?
I see this everyday.
The struggles that some have with writing, reading and math while others move smoothly across the page producing something beautiful.
Or have they too struggled through the system that doesn’t recognize them?
Identity!
There it is again.
Does it really matter?
Does it count for anything?
Does it affect my ability to process information?
Can we move past this and begin to build on what was never learned, taught, or valued?
Can I know what you know?
See my face and understand my struggles. See my face and know that the battle is every day.
We don’t see things the same
I am your child.
I am ready to learn.
Will you teach me?
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