I fasted one day last summer. I wanted to clean my system out; it is a healthy thing to do. I used to do it when I was younger. I was a lot healthier then. I was trying to get back to it, to being healthy. I had not eaten anything since the day before, …
Tag: Haiti
Advice to Immigrants
I immigrated to the United States in December 2000. Even today, I remember how homesick I felt when I left my family and close friends behind to start a new life. The United States is a land of opportunities, yes. I had always heard that. But there are many challenges, like learning a new language, …
Meeting a Stranger in the Park
In 2020, the virus took over the city. Everyone was depressed and scared. Life was dreary. You couldn’t do things. You couldn’t enjoy life. I hated the lockdown.
Perseverance
In July 2018, I was invited to a meeting by my religious superior in Brazil. He presented a request that the superior of New Jersey had made. He was asking for someone from our congregation to collaborate with them in their mission. He told me, “You could be the best representative to go to the United States because you are multilingual. You know English already.” Immediately, in the following month, they asked me to prepare my documents for the visa. When the process was completed, I left for the U.S.
Haiti, January 12, 2010
I was only 11 years old. None of us knew that our lives would be changed drastically in a matter of hours. I started the day by getting ready for school; as on a typical Tuesday, I had a piano lesson after class from 4:30 until 5:00 p.m. The day went by as usual for my friends and me; we were dismissed at 2:00 p.m., as usual. I called my mom to tell her that I was not feeling well, and that I didn’t want to stay for my piano lesson. She understood and came to pick me up.
Hope Came Again
* A 2004 R&B song called “Spirit” transports me to another time and place. I was being admitted to the hospital for a scheduled spinal surgery. I thought I had the strength to continue, but the more pain I felt after the surgery, the less faith I had that God would help me. This song …