My silly Rabbits!

 I love them, I live for them

As the world turns.....

Today I was thinking about life, and I thought of my dad…

My dad is a hand’s on kind of father. Growing up he was always there. Some kids complain about their parents not being present in their lives, well for me it was different. Let’s just say that by the time I was fifteen I was really wishing and praying for the type of dad who did not notice the smallest of things.  I remember the conversations around the dinner table in the afternoons, I remember him making sure we are studying.  I remember the fun times; hanging out at the house, the trips to Jacmel, Port-de-Paix, etc.  Dad putting together a baptism ceremony for our dolls when we were little girls, he and mom took care of all the details, taking the celebration further than we could have ever imagined. Guests were invited, mom sewed the doll’s dresses, a cake was made, and small little finger foods were prepared and served. Dad acted like the pastor and the little dolls lives were presented to God.  He was and remains to be that kind of a dad.

My dad has this land in Cesselesse, Haiti, I vividly remember him talking about it. How he would build five houses on it; four in each corner of the land and one in the middle, he would describe with such passion how once he retired he would take our kids to school in the morning, or take them on the weekends so that we could enjoy our lives.  Again, dad was a hand’s on kind of father who could not wait to see us graduate from school and get married.   I remember him talking about us getting married in the house we lived in; he would detail how it would happen and all.

My dad is and always was a stand up guy, excessively cautious some might say. He never really took risks or shortcuts; he always went about things the way they were supposed to be done.  Until this day, complete strangers tell me, how he is a stickler for order and discipline. I have had people who work with him tell me that because of him they missed out on a lot of illegal “opportunities”, he just would not allow it. Ironic for someone who was part of an institution blamed for so much injustice and unfairness.  To many, it almost goes against logic, to say that someone who was part of the Haitian military was a stand up guy. How do you defend that? I can, many others can and have.  

My dad is the silent type guy, the more he is in the shadow the better. High ranked, yet no one knew him. I went to school with people my whole life who never even knew who and or what my father was or did. Following those facts I am always puzzled by how life turned on him, us as a family.  How is it that he became a victim? Many have been victimized; I am focusing on my dad though, because I know him. I can vouch for him and loudly say that he was done wrong.  The taste of life has been taken away from him unjustly. 

Today I was thinking about life and thought of dad, thought about how my dad’s life would be right now, had he been a doctor, or a social worker.  I remember his stories of how he wanted to go to medical school, or to become a social worker. How, for a good part of his life he wanted to work in human services; any field that worked or dealt with developing and helping people. I

Today I was thinking about life and thought of dad, wondering if the cards had been played differently if he would have lost a good part of his adulthood as he has now.  My dad has missed most of our graduations, he’s only seen me get married and that’s because I got married in Haiti. I remember him complaining that he hasn’t gotten to witness any of his girls pregnant yet, he still has some grand children that he has never met.  Quite frankly the others he has met them but they don’t know him. My dad, not being around us and his grand kids to spoil them is just wrong; its injustice in its pure form.  This is truly the worst thing that could have ever happened to such a family man as my dad.

So today, I was thinking about life and just got real upset! Upset at how it can destroy a man in a sense.  I miss and think about how our lives could have been a lot, especially lately.  I think of all of those wonderful plans we had as a family but I am left with a dad stuck in Haiti, a mom sick in Boston, a brother in Afghanistan, niece and nephew in California, me moving back to Haiti, leaving a husband and sisters in Tampa! Is that really the essence of life? What good are we to each other as a family when we are all away from each other? Is that what we signed up for? Where did we go wrong? What happened? Can you piece it back together Lord? 

My hope is that one day soon, before his taken from us, he gets to enjoy those tiny little pleasures of life again. I hope that for every year he is away from us, God adds a couple of more to his, so that we can all enjoy the great reunion. Hoping!  

President Jean-Bertrand Aristide Statement, January 19, 2011

Dr Jean-Bertrand Aristide

Former President of Haiti

19 January 2011


I would like to thank the government and the people of South Africa for the historic hospitality, deeply rooted in Ubuntu, extended to my family and I.

Since my forced arrival in the Mother Continent six and a half years ago, the people of Haiti have never stopped calling for my return to Haiti . Despite the enormous challenges that they face in the aftermath of the deadly January 12, 2010 earthquake, their determination to make the return happen has increased.

As far as I am concerned, I am ready. Once again I express my readiness to leave today, tomorrow, at any time. The purpose is very clear: To contribute to serving my Haitian sisters and brothers as a simple citizen in the field of education.

The return is indispensable, too, for medical reasons: It is strongly recommended that I not spend the coming winter in South Africa ’s because in 6 years I have undergone 6 eye surgeries. The surgeons are excellent and very well skilled, but the unbearable pain experienced in the winter must be avoided in order to reduce any risk of further complications and blindness.

So, to all those asking me to return home, I reiterate my willingness to leave today, tomorrow, at any time. Let us hope that the Haitian and South African governments will enter into communication in order to make that happen in the next coming days.

United to the Haitian people, once again my family and I express our sincere gratitude to the government and the people of South Africa .

Dr Jean-Bertrand Aristide

Game of chess...

This will be short; I mean what's there to say? Really...someone somewhere is screaming...»Check Mate"!!!
Haiti's become a simple game of chess...
Every Haitian is a pawn in someone's game...
Sad thing is no one is sure whose game it is... Who are the key players?
How did most of us even get in this stupid game? How did we become pawns? Why did we become pawns?
Whether we like it or not, it is true. We are being used towards someone’s personal objectives and ambitions. It’s no longer for the common good, actually was it ever?
In the game of chess the rules are simple….When you play your game of chess, be careful of your moves. Be careful of your steps. Be careful of your strategy.
In Haiti, this game of chess has gotten triple complicated…we've developed new rules!
My concern is how much more of this tasteless game will us pawns continue to endure?
Game should be over! As soon as there is foul play……….all fun is out the window.
One wrong move, the end of the game should have come.
One wrong move? Check mate.
Why are we still playing? It’s a simple game for crying out loud!
Not many like to know they are pawns, not many even like to acknowledge that life is a game of chess…my question again is why have we not only accepted this game but are official players?
For the first time in my history I have no words when it comes to Haiti. 
I have concluded that you have to be of a HUGE mind to do politics and my small brain can no longer go at it.
I will keep this short I promise; all I know is the return of Jean-Claude Duvalier in Haiti is a start of something. Not sure what. I am sure we will all know soon.
One thing is certain, Préval is by far the smartest or stupidest politician Haiti's ever seen. 
I have to mend my heart and prepare myself for anything when it comes to my beloved, only then will I make it.
Mentally Haiti is just a bit much. I hate that our emotions are constantly played with. Do we appear to be this stupid? I won't say much more…..I’m becoming incoherent! 

Will we EVER forget?

I haven’t blogged since the New Year.  Yea, its 2011! I couldn’t wait for this year to get here! I haven’t felt inspired much though, so I have been taking it easy….thinking a lot but not writing anything down.  Being in Haiti inspires me, as I expected. I try to write some of the things I see and think about down, but I can’t really write anything down. I think of doing it in Creole, because I feel that maybe then, I could really express what I think of the situation in Haiti. But then I don’t. This whole week, I have been thinking about what most people in my circle have been thinking about.  Haiti. 12 Janvier 2010. Election. Cholera. Mostly 12 Janvier 2010….a year later.  I know.... it’s a lot in someone’s head!

“I remember”! This catchy little phrase that everyone has been posting as their status has magically inspired me, because every time I read it something inside of me SCREAMS….How could we NOT remember? Even though I am not grieving or remembering anyone in particular, I am haunted by over 250,000 Haitian souls questioning why their deaths haven't helped change things around, asking why over 800,000 of their loved ones still live an earthquake on a daily basis.

When you are in Haiti, it’s impossible to not “remember”, it’s on people’s faces; the despair, the sadness, the expression of hopelessness. Everyone wants to share their story with you, it just pours out of them. They tell you over and over how it feels to feel the earth shake so violently.  Every single survivor tells you how they escaped and how God saved them for a reason.  And then there are the physical reminders, on the way from the airport, the tent cities, the palace, houses, businesses, one would have to be blind to not see, let alone forget.  

I like that we “remember”! Haitians actually have a reputation of forgetting too quickly! We forget the wrong they do to us and allow them to be repeated over and over again. Sort of like what we are living now.  I want to remember, I don’t want to forget, because lives were lost….can‘t forget such a thing.  I want to remember for the people who are still struggling, people who have to start yet another year under those tents. I want to remember for the women who are being raped, those who get pregnant and have to raise a child conceived in such horrifying circumstances.  Families who made it alive out of the earthquake but are losing loved ones to Cholera. I want to remember for the lady I heard on the radio, wishing she had died on January 12^th, 2010….because life is so hard for her and her kids now.  I have been wondering how many must feel the same way? I want to remember for those who have reasons to lose hope yet are still holding on, praying and hoping that all of 2011 will not see them in this same predicament.

I want to remember the wrong being done to Haiti, the abuse that she has endured this past year.  I don’t want to forget the people who claim they care, who have pledged their help to us yet haven’t done anything BUT help themselves both on the national and international level.  I don’t want to forget those who have contributed in the ongoing misery of my fellow Haitians, those who’ve benefited from this natural disaster.

Above all, I don’t want to forget my people’s resilience.  I want to remember Haitians as they were the days after the earthquake…united and willing to help rebuild Haiti. I want to remember the songs that were sung, the prayers that went up and the feeling of hope that lingered around. I want to continue to remember, because we have to give value to the lives that were lost on that day. God....let this be the last year we simply "remember"!  Help us match our actions to our thoughts! Help us make better decisions and hold each other accountable for the growth and future of Haiti. January 12^th, 2010…I do remember.Will we EVER forget?