2020: Storytelling, Conga Drums, and Emotional Wellness
I didn’t set out to become an author. When I first began writing about my identity, I wanted a deeper understanding of where I was from, who I was then, and who I am now. I did not know it at the time, but writing memoir is a form of therapy, a way to put…
Read MoreRoom for Me
I never knew I was black until I came to Miami. I had spent most of my childhood in Haiti, in a community that was already made for me and people like me. Though I understood there were social classes that dictated my place in society, I was comfortable knowing where I belonged. But when…
Read MoreYou Are Your Network: Neuroscience and the Need to Belong
Did you know that our social lives define our sense of self? In other words, when we think about who we are, we tend to think in terms of our membership in a group. Does this sound counterintuitive? After all, we know humans are social beings. We know we gain physical and emotional benefits from…
Read More“Where in Africa are you from?”
The following is excerpted from Twelve Unending Summers: Memoir of an Immigrant Child: Years ago, when I was doing my residency in Chicago, I was making my way through the hospital cafeteria when a tall, slender, white attending physician approached. He looked me up and down, almost as though in resignation. “Where in Africa are you…
Read MoreNo, Self-Love Won’t Make You a Narcissist
Show yourself some compassion. Show yourself some love. Every day we are encouraged to love ourselves and give ourselves grace, to make the practice of self-compassion part of our daily routine. But doesn’t all this talk of self-compassion and self-love place too much emphasis on the self—steering us away from developing compassion and empathy for…
Read MoreUnder the Coconut Tree
The following is excerpted from Twelve Unending Summers: Memoir of an Immigrant Child: One warm morning in La Rivière des Nègres, my dad took me to the northwest side of the house and showed me four coconut trees. Given their size, I thought they must have been planted about six to eight months earlier. “One of…
Read MoreOne More Chance to Live
The following is excerpted from Twelve Unending Summers: Memoir of an Immigrant Child: I woke from a deep sleep in a frenzied panic, for a moment uncertain where I was. Cooking utensils flew across the cabin. Waves crashed over the deck and beat against the glass panel between me and the violent winds outdoors, and I…
Read MoreTime for Self-Care? Don’t Forget Self-Compassion!
It is true that we live in a fast-paced, constantly changing environment. It is true that we are busier, more stressed, and less connected than before. The good news is that we’re aware of it—and we’re taking steps to improve our brain health through practicing self-care. A massage. A scented bath. A hike out in…
Read MoreThe Boys and Girls Clubs: A Chance to Give Back
When I was sent from Haiti to Miami, South Florida, to join my mother here, I lost the community that had been central to my well-being as a child. I did not see a clear path forward in my new home. Then I joined the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, where I rediscovered community.…
Read MoreMango Treasure Hunt
The glaring hot Caribbean sun is losing its lustrous heat, at least from where I am sitting on the mound of yellow dirt, tracking the movement of my shadow. Once my shadow is directly beneath me, I will know there is enough shade, but even now I feel the cool breeze drying my sweat. It…
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