Shan and Tam... Sisters Breaking Barriers

  This post is dedicated to Glenda Miller – my mother, my role model, a humanitarian, and warrior for her family and the children of this world. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. - 1 Peter 4:10   There are many life lessons that can be learned from a mother. One of the most important lessons that I have been taught by my own mom is that of service. Serving your community and fellow human beings, in whatever capacity you can, provides you one of the greatest opportunities to serve God.   About 25 years ago I saw my mother join an internationally founded service organization, The Kiwanis Club. Being in my early adult years and possessing very self-absorbed tendencies, I couldn’t understand her desire to give up so much of her time and energy doing one project after another. Weekdays, weeknights, weekends, and even holidays, she would attend meetings or participate in multiple projects. All with one goal: to give ba

"Santa Claus, do you ever come to the ghetto?” “Santa Claus, do you ever wonder why we suffer so?”   As children, we would always hear my mother singing this popular Jamaican song by Carlene Davis. It was one of her favourites.   Our reality was that Santa Claus did not visit us in the ghetto. Instead of the joy associated with this fictional character, we grew up seeing people dying on our streets.   Let me give you a glimpse into my life growing up in Jamaica. My family lived in a community called 'Jungle' which was located in Trench Town, St. Andrew. There, many young boys would turn to gang violence, many girls became impregnated at a young age, while domestic violence and blaring gunshots were the norm.           Regularly, we would awake in the mornings to hear about another man or woman who had been gunned down. This was our life, and in making the best of our situation we normalized the dysfunction around us.  Yet, I have fond memories of home.         So