Dear LPG

I am a pre-pensioner of West Indian descent and even though my cousin and aunt live in London, miles from my Canadian home, we use the internet to keep in contact and it was that cousin who introduced me to the Lewisham Pensioners Gazette’s web site when I came to visit some two years ago.  I remember saying then that I would like to contribute, and I have many subjects that I felt I could address, but it was not until that cousin and her mother, a very special aunt, came to stay with me for a visit that I really made the time.   I consider writing quite easy but I have never tried to write a blog before.  This got me thinking about the act of writing a blog. It is really challenging.

After all the opinions and thoughts, I had while reading some of the LPG pages, when I actually got to the computer, I was a bit stumped.  What should I write about? How serious should it be?

Well, this blog is about the mini melt down that most West Indians, no matter what age, go through when their relatives are about to visit. First of all, the house has to be cleaned from top to bottom…Who knew I had so much old junk to throw away?! Lawks have mercy! Where do I start? Okay, I will start with my bedroom. I have all the fresh linens for the bed, and I have moved all the shoes out of the way. Where did all these bags come from? Well, I know where they are going…I have a big black plastic bag that I am filling up with items that can no longer fit me. That bag is full of donations…and they are to be picked up early tomorrow morning. I have delegated the scrubbing of the bathrooms to my daughter. She was away at school in Ottawa and rented a house with three young ‘lazies’ Yes, you read it right…young lazies…. No other experience teaches you how to scrub a bathroom like your mother would scrub it! She is now quite the expert.

The next thing is the food. This is an area where most people, especially Caribbean people, don’t play around…I have the saltfish, the tins of ackee, and today I got all I need to make the best pot of soup this side of the Atlantic…because my Auntie absolutely loves soup and I felt it to be the only welcoming meal I could offer…This one will be a busy soup…We are talking spinners (little dumplings), a nice piece of yellow yam, some turnip…Now, I can’t give my recipe away; I will only say that getting the right buttercup squash is essential for the success of this soup.

My last thing is the entertainment. Now, I know they are not fussy, but I want them to get to see as much of Toronto – and Ontario-as possible…So we are going to Niagara Falls, overnighting and returning via St. Catharine’s (I have close friends who live there). You may wonder how long my visitors are planning to stay…Well, not even a week…However, we are going to pack a lifetime of memories in the six days…I’m just grateful to God for the opportunity to spend some time with them.

Now, let me return to the ‘writing a blog’ experience…There is something cathartic about writing…It helps to give perspective…And just so you know, my visitors couldn’t care less if the house is clean, if the lawn is cut, if the food is perfect, or if they go out for entertainment…They really just care about visiting me and the young people (can’t call them kids anymore) …

We just need to remember that life is not about running around to do this and that for people. That only leads to exhaustion. Our loved ones just want to spend TIME with us…And when I think about the times I’ve spent at their home in London, it was all about the comfort I felt in knowing that I was with people I love, and people who love me. So, as of right now, I am going to slow down a bit…of course, I will still go to the West Indian store to get the ripe plantains (we don’t joke about food) …but I am going to slow down, spend time with my beloved family, and enjoy the visit.

I suppose that the moral of the story is that when family from foreign climes come for a visit, it is not all about impressing them; making them feel special and at home is the secret.

Blessings,

ML, Toronto.