Overwhelmed and Humbled

Thank God for words like “Overwhelmed and Humbled.” Combined, dey express a powerful sense of gratitude, great honour, love, a sense of profound appreciation rather than arrogance when receiving immense praise and support.

Our daughter Chelsea has been appointed a Go-venom-aint Senator in de House of Par-liar-mint, and to the village dat encompasses everybody dat raised dis child , our lickle family says Thank You All. To God be the Glory.

Dis lickle write-up goes way back one Sunday morning when we took our one month ole baby girl whom we call “Babiluv” to de Salvation Army and offered her back to Christ! And at about age twelve we again took her to make her own “ Sacred Vow,” water baptism. Dat occasion at Mespo Gospel Hall.

Dey are some moments of nostalgia as we revisit ah few stops thru Chelsea’s Village. Every parent remembers dey child’s first day at school usually Pre-school. But dey’s no Pre-school like Granny’s Day Nursery where Granny (know it all) takes de liberty to spoil all her grand-children dem like rotten-egg. Up until now Chelsea remains spoilt.

Ah remember ah nervous Dollis Caesar-Alexander, with ah glad-sad demeamer, taking her 4-year ole daughter to Julia “ Aunty Julia” Branch’s “Level Garden Pre-school.” She loved dey so much dat she wanted to go live wid Aunty Julia. Den formal primary schooling began at St Mary’s Roman Catholic. Prayers at Assembly every day. Prayers, (Grace before meals) at lunch yes. Prayers at de end of de school-day. And at bed- time was prayers. Ah became hooked on one ah de rayers : “Angel of God my guardian be, to whom Gods love etc”. Is ah pity we keep avoiding renewal of ah sound Religious Education in all schools.

So we moved up to Primary School, de stepping stone to Seconday Education, and de competition at St Mary’s was extremely high, near brutal. Parents waited outside de Common Entrance Centres all day to hear “how de exams went foh dey students ?”

Results bordered scs. De phone rang: “ Daddy results are out and ah failed!” How strange, dey was no remorse in her voice, before ah could ah blow out on her, she said:

“ Not true, I pass for High School!”

In between Primary and Secondary School, Extra Curricular activities were plentiful, too much: Apart from evening classes with de Invaluable, Teachers Marquita Daniel and de late Gillis Francis. Dey was piano lessons, Ballet dancing, Steel Pan with Ashley Kirby, Karate wid Sensi Burke and Ivo. But de real game changer, was de Girl’s High School Number 11 Girl Guides, and Number 23 Ranger Guides. Thanks to Guiders like Latoya De Roche-John, ah disciplinarian who cared wid Tough Love and Patience. Ah only repeating Chelsea’s own words. Chelsea progressed smoothly thru CSEC and CAPE. She got accepted to UWI. So de next step was Cave Hill. Universitay! here I come and dat’s when we (parents) had to let go and let God. Parents and guardians, before yuh think about sending your child abroad to University, find a famous Bible Character and ah story dat will inspire.

Our story, actually Chelsea’s story was about ah Famine, wid de Prophet, Elijah who blessed ah poor widow and her son caught in de drought. All she had in her cupboard was de last vial of oil and ah tea-cup of flour. As fast as she used de oil and flour, like magic her small stock was replenished. She never ran out of stock. Dat was our experience sending Chelsea thru Cave Hill and on to Sir Hugh Wooding Law School.

With prayers and more prayers God would have has Blessed us thru. And dat is why as overwhelming as it might have been our lickle family remains humbled giving God all de Praises. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.