My mother is the most balanced person I know. I have rarely seen her distressed or angry. She goes thru life and gracefully deals with whatever comes her way, whether good or bad. Her favorite quote is ” Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning to dance in the rain”. I would like to think I’ve inherited this attitude from her, but alas, I think my personality is more like my father’s — sensitive and reactive. But what I have inherited from my mother is a love of beauty, novelty, and travel. I love beautiful things — fabrics, clothes, jewelry, art, decor…And I love the spontaneity of travelling to interesting, unconventional and unusual places.
Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning to dance in the rain.
My earliest memories are of Lagos, Nigeria. In 1964, my brave parents, picked up their 3 children (all under the age of 4) and moved to Africa. What an adventure they had for 4 years! It is an experience that has shaped all of our lives, Living out of the country as children has made us all adventure-prone and curiosity-seeking. My travel adventures are never-ending. I have spent the last 20+ years in South Africa. In South Africa, I have come to appreciate the post-apartheid struggle for freedom and dignity. It is a continuing quest of all peoples whose history is tied to enduring oppression, whether it be slavery, colonialism, sexism or apartheid. I thank my mother (and father) for the foundational experience that has, and continues, to shape, a persistently interesting life.
I don’t know where I will travel next —I am slowly shifting my life back to the US. But when the world beckons, I will put on my wings and take flight.
