I decided that today I would give honor to those who have come before me, the/my Ancestors by acknowledging some of the FIRSTS that have presented themselves in my life. Of course, I have considered that this might sound like a bit of bragging on my part and it is, in a way. I am bragging about the doorways that I have stepped through because I honor ancestors.
I began to realize as I started to write this that the courage to have "firsts" is something inherited. My grandmother was the first in her family to attend University. This must have been fairly difficult for a woman born in 1901. My grandfather on my mother's side was the youngest barrister in the history of Trinidad. That must have been quite an accomplishment for an African-Caribbean man of those times--some time in the 1920's. So the urge to push the limits that are imposed by others runs through my blood.
I won't go into all of the firsts in my life, just a brief reflection on the most recent ones. I came to Belize as a priestess in an African Traditional Religion and with me came my empowerments, those energies for whom I am the caretaker. That was a first. To enter a country like Belize that had no tradition like this. I set out to "legalize" the practice of Ifa/Orisa and did so. That was a first. And other firsts related to that are the first empowerments, the first initiations in the history of Belize have been done. I am proud to say this because in some small way Belize can never be the same.
And now, another first and the reason for the strange looking picture above. I have been making goat milk cheese for a couple of years, focusing on soft cheese. I decided to branch out and make cheddar cheese and the picture above is evidence of my very first product. More importantly, I believe that this is the first goat milk cheddar ever made in Belize.
But what does this have to do with you? There is something to be said about being aware of what you do that is unique, original, rare. It gives you a space in life and in history that you may not have felt before. Rather than feeling that you are just taking up space, going through mundane motions of life, examine the lives of those who came before you. There are firsts there that you have taken for granted. You are unique, you have much to offer and everyday in the most casual and yet significant of ways, you can make history.