KNIT

knit

Growing up in Jamaica we didn’t have much, but we had each other and that was enough. Living in America I’ve realised just how much I consume. I look at all the things I have now, the life I have now and while I am forever grateful for that, I can’t help but miss the old days. I grew up in a house filled with a tight-knit family, love and laughter was everywhere. Even though we were “poor” I never felt a sense of deprivation, I was never hungry, bored or deprived of a good education. In fact, I ate the best I had probably ever eaten because we ate real fresh food grown from our garden. I climbed trees with my friends and explored the island for fun. I learned to play the piano at just two years old and spent most of my childhood days reading. I came to America with a better education than my peers and was placed one grade ahead as that is where I was tested. Being here I am still so, so thankful because the quality of my life is better, but I can’t help but think about all the distractions I face and how much that impacts my current quality of life on a deeper level.

I’ve grown distance from a family I once thought I could never go a day without speaking to [or about]. I’m constantly feeling stressed about not having this, or not having that, having to pay this bill, saving up for that, having to be here for this, not missing out on that. Although I still never lost my love of learning a new skill or art it saddens me to think about my life then and my life now. I had so much more time to learn and do things that I loved, everyone did! Kingston was buzzing with people who would stop you on the street to tell you a story or try and enrich your life in some way. There are times here I can go a whole day without seeing a friendly face, but then I remember that is the beauty of family. Family is the essence of life, it is the tight knit bond that you have no matter where you are in the world and it’s never too late to try and get that back.

I hope you have someone one you can count on during this Holiday season, it can be a stressful time of year. If you are feuding with a sibling, parent, aunt, uncle or cousin, reach out and make things right! At the end of the day during the hustle and bustle of life family is always there to make things a little bit easier.

xx