You must be clear- this is living a happy, whole, physically and emotionally healthy life.
I can’t begin to tell you how important it is to be physically, emotionally, and spiritually healthy. One of the first things I tell my student teachers in their first Child Development course is that they must do a survey on where they are in these 3 domains of their life, before they commit to becoming a teacher. It is not a one time check in! It is an ongoing ritual that we as both teachers and parents have to do in order to have a loving and functional relationship with the children we are serving or parenting. If we owe it to them and to ourselves to live a life that is in alignment with our best life and highest expression of our unique “Divine Identity”.
When we are out of sorts and not feeling well, it is our responsibility as teachers to take a mental health day and re-center our emotions and spiritual well-being so that we can re-enter the environment in a healthier more stable expression of ourselves. I knew I had 10 full sick days a year and I committed myself to taking one day a month every year to just “Care for Myself”. I was intentional about doing something special that gave me an opportunity to just “breathe”! I would get up and take a walk on the beach or take myself out to breakfast. Sometimes I would just stay in bed and watch shows that did not take any of my thought processes being activated. WE all need a “Time In”! We all need to realize that balancing and aligning the elements that propel our existence have to be cared for and nurtured.
This is not something we have to ask permission to do or have to apology for, it is something that is required of us in order to live a happy and healthy life. When we come to children, we need to be whole, healthy and happy. Now in terms of happy, I am not saying that children expect us to be in a fixed static state of being every day. They need to see us as our authentic selves so they know that we will provide a space for them to be in full expression of who they are and that expression of their “Divine Identity” is respected and accepted. The thing is that as adults we should have grown in our ability to be cognizant of how we are coming off to them, and with that sensitivity we do what we have to do to “Check Ourselves”.
The benefit to children when we can self-adjust, is that it makes them feel safe, secure, and cared for. Another thing I share with my student teachers is that it is really important for them to check in with their inner child, because that holds the “truth of who they are and what they are capable of” being. What a gift it is to be in service to children because we get to discover more and more about ourselves every day we share with them.
I know that with all that is transpiring in the world and in our individual countries, we are at a point that we realize that being involved and supportive of our teachers and the educational system that they are navigating and learning in is critical. We have to come to the understanding that the people that are teaching, guiding and nurturing our children in a brick and mortar institution, are not only human in their design, but are also trying to navigate their own personal life and the life challenges they encounter on a daily basis, but teachers and administrators are also trying the navigate the expectations of an archaic system that is not child centered. Life wears on all of us and teachers are no different. It is interesting to recognize and acknowledge that just like a child’s relationship with parents, children know when a teacher is not happy and is struggling to balance their emotions so that it does not make a child feel unsafe or uncared for.
There is a unique relationship between a child and their teacher. It is important for the initial connection be established with love, respect, compassion, devotion and commitment. Children are realistic, more so than what we give them credit for. They know that we are not going to be happy 24/7 and they are in their own way intuitive and attentive way going to be responsive to where we are emotionally and physically. They love it when teachers can share their joy and excitement about what is transpiring in the learning environment and curriculum. The joy is contagious and makes them feel that we as teachers are in tune with their wants and needs and are invested in the second most important place and part of their day. I always tell my student teachers that it is important to take care of their mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. It is important for teachers to take “Care for Self-Days”, when they know that they are not able to be balanced and healthy with the children that are in their care. Parents have to practice ethe same modality in their parenting. None of us can be on 24/7 so we have to construct times and ways to give ourselves a “Time In”! A time when we remove ourselves from our routine and “go within” and re-capture our peace and composure. I use the “Time In” not the “Time Out” method with children, because I feel that when they are out of balance, they are asking for a time to be connected not disconnected with someone that “Sees Them”!
It is so important and healthy for us to seek the people, things, and experiences that support and sustains the “Joy” that lies within our soul’s expression. Our “Joy” is created by us and is housed in our “Soul”! We are responsible for protecting our “Joy” from anyone, anything, or circumstance in life that tries to “Rain on our parade or cast shadows on our sunlight”! We all have times when we will feel pain and be stressed, but the key to being “Joy Filled”, is to only allow those emotions to pass through us and to not allow those feelings to take up residence in our “Soul’s expression. WE all deserve “Joy” and to be able to be chosen to serve children, or to be their parent, we must let our “Joy” bring light and love into their lives.
What does it take and whom must you be to serve children as their teacher?
You must be intellectually prepared and committed to being a “lifelong learner”, because you understand that “there is always more truth and knowledge” to learn. You must understand that as you continue to learn and enhance your life, that it benefits not only you, but the lives of the children you are serving.
As an educator it is our responsibility to continue to learn and enhance our lives so that we grow in all areas of our life. Who we are and what we know and have to share with children is a critical part of teaching and mentoring children. If we have not engaged in activities that provide resources and content for our curriculum for children, then we are limiting and depriving children access to the wealth of knowledge the world has for them. So many teachers and administrators experience “burn out”, because they resign themselves to believing that they don’t need to go back to school, travel, join interest groups, read for pleasure and challenge themselves to do things that are “out of the box” for them.
We as educators and parents are role models for children. If they see us enjoying reading and exploring the world as adventurers, they too want to explore and discover the treasures of the world. By their very nature, children are curious and fearless. They want to know the “why” of things! They want to know how things work! They need hands on experiences and time to venture into an environmental classroom or their outdoor classroom that provides a wealth of content that is age and cognitively appropriate for their age and or maturity. We create the content and environments that support children’s growth in all 4 domains of their being.
I know on a personal note that I committed myself to being a “lifelong learner”. I pledged to always do things and venture into things that would expand my breath of knowledge about life and the world so that I would continue to be a resource in my writing and advocacy. It is a major part of our human design to feed our brains and enhance the expressions of our souls. Children deserve the best of who we are and who we can become so that we can guide them and nurture them in their “Life’s Divine Journey”.
As parents we have the responsibility of developing a relationship with the teachers of our children and supporting them and encouraging them to continue to learn and provide relevant and exciting curriculum for our children. We can bring in resources for them to explore. We can help to provide field trips, and I always had parents that formed a little in-house parent support group so that we always had resources beyond what the school offered the children. Teachers need to know that we as parents are in collaboration with them in guiding, nurturing, and teaching our children. It has to be a collaboration between home-school- and community. Who better than the parents to solicit support for our schools than the parents that work and or reside in the school’s community. Community investment in our schools, results in sustainability of quality of education.
P.S.
I just want to add that this relationship with parents and their child’s school does not end when the child graduates from elementary school. We as parents have to stay involved in our kid’s educational institutions from elementary school through high school. Even when they go off to college, if there are opportunities for you to support your child’s college experience- games, parent events, or artistic events that they are in and you get invited to support them, show up!
You are charged with teaching children to “love the art of learning”.
We are as educators and as parents responsible for not only the quality of education that we provided our children, but the curriculum, the environment, and the context of our philosophy of what our mission is to educate, guide and nurture our children. Our primary tenant of our philosophy that drives our mission, modality of teaching and educating children, as well as the curriculum and environment has to be that we give them the gift of learning to “love the art of learning”. We must be so intentional about ensuring that what we are providing them is steeped in this mission! We want learning to be exciting, relevant, transformative, informative to expand their breath of knowledge and comprehension. We want this process of learning to love the art of learning to be reflective in curriculum and the modalities of teaching so that the process and outcomes are in alignment with what children need in order to grow and develop and what they want to learn.
There are those of us that are under the impression that learning only takes place when children are quiet and passive, and the curriculum is adult centered and prescribed. I believe that when children are unengaged in terms of experiential learning modalities, and when the curriculum and environment is not child centered and driven, learning is stifled, unimpressible, and does not translate into the fabric of their life. When children are not in a collaborative relationship with their teacher, the curriculum, and the environment in which they are expected to learn, we don’t get integrated and utilitarian content that evolves into knowledge and consequently we are nurturing them wholistically and appropriately. We are afforded a great opportunity to support the teachers of our children and the school administration in fulfilling the core tenants of our mission and philosophy of want we want and how we want our children to be educated. It will take everyone being on the same page and equally involved and invested, but I know we can make a difference in the lives of our children and provide an opportunity for teachers who have been ”called” to this immensely sacred profession to fulfill their “Divine Purpose” in service to children.
Our precious brother Lloyd was born on August 4th, 1949, and holds the distinction of being born on his father’s birthday, Rev. Dr. Lloyd E. Galloway, the pastor of Lincoln Memorial Congregational Church and President Obama’s birthday. Lloyd, although challenged by the physical limitations of Cerebral Palsy, lived a life that was boundless, and his loving mother and advocate, Dolly Galloway, saw to it that all of his dreams and aspirations came true. He was a miracle baby, and he earned the title of “Miracle Man” by the way in which he never let anything dictate what he had the capacity to experience in life. He was a graduate of Washington Blvd. Elementary School, where he was loved and appreciated by all his teachers, therapist, and support staff. Lloyd captured the hearts and imaginations of his teachers so much so that one of his teachers, Mrs. Featherstone came to the house every week to teach him how to play Chess. Lloyd went on after high school to audit college courses at El Camino College. People marveled how this man without the capacity to talk, had the most amazing way of communicating his ideas, wants, and interest in other people as well as what was going on in the world. You only had to sit with him for a moment until you were drawn into conversation with him and found that your encounter with him touched your life.
After completing high school, Mommie had the vision of creating something that would captivate his interest and give new opportunities for his genius to be expressed and so they started a card and gift shop on Crenshaw Blvd. called Mr. B’s Box. Why you ask Mr. B’s Box? Well, when he was a baby, he would blow bubbles and we called him Bubbles, but as a young man and for his establishment as an entrepreneur, we dropped the “ubbles” and called him “Mr. B”!
The Crenshaw Chamber of Congress was so impressed with him they wrote him up in the Times newspaper and gave him a certificate as the “Youngest Businessman in the Crenshaw Community”! Well needless to say, with these two hard working partners, they outgrew their shop and relocated to Jefferson Blvd. During this time the Post Office that was next door to them closed down and with the help of the community, Lloyd and Mommie opened up the first Postal Contract Operation in Los Angeles. Mommie being a visionary and Lloyd being her boundless partner, decided it was time to buy their own building, and they saved every penny they could and bought the building down the street. -2059 W. Jefferson Blvd. became their new place of business. Lloyd and Mommie-Dolly as she was fondly called, expanded to a point that they were able to hire a dear friend Acie Sims to help out in the shop and to support them running the Postal Contract. Over the years family and various people – Ezzat Monsour- Lloyd’s most devoted caretaker, have come through those doors to support the business and Lloyd’s dreams. It has been a family affair from the very start.
Lloyd has been a world traveler with his dad and his siblings. He traveled with Daddy to Russia and China. He has been on trips across the USA. He has traveled to Italy, thanks to our sister Lark for taking the whole family on her sabbatical award that allowed her to take all of us. Lloyd has been to Jamaica and Hawaii. If we were going somewhere, so was Lloyd.
The pandemic put a monkey wrench in our lifestyle, and it isolated him from the shop and from outside support caregivers. Now we are clear that these last 4+ years was a time for us to come together as a family, and just BE with each other. It was a time for us to be gifted the opportunity to care for our brother and to immerse ourselves in the love we have for each other. Lloyd was the grounding cord of our family and still is.
The lessons of love and gratitude that we learned from him are treasures for our own souls. It will be strange to walk through his room and not see him physically, but in terms of his soul expression, we will never be separated from him. What a gift Lloyd- Mr. B. has been to humanity. He taught us how to live in gratitude. He taught us how to live in a state of patience. He taught us how to communicate with our soul and heart and to stay out of our perceptions and judgment of others. He taught us how to love unconditionally. He taught us how to surrender to faith in God’s divine plans for our lives, and not sink to self-pity questioning “Why me”! He taught us that the only thing that can limit us and hold us back from living the fullness of our lives, is our own mindset. Lloyd taught us to love life no matter what our circumstances are, because the “human spirit” knows no lack and no limitation. Thank you, “B”.
Mr. B was greeted by his Dad-Rev. Dr. Lloyd E. Galloway, his Mom-Dorothy Carmen Kahn-Galloway, his loving sister- Lark E. Galloway-Gilliam, his Grandmothers- Marie Alexandria Hylton, and Elizabeth A. Chambers-Tyler. Lloyd has his sister-Elizabeth M. Evans, and Patricia Galloway-Banday, and brother Mark E. Galloway, to continue the Galloway family legacy. He has a host of nieces Nicole Evans, Robin E. Gilliam, and Leilani R. Banday-Akau, that have been an intricate part of his life as well as a nephew Josh Banday. Lloyd helped to guide them and protect them, and they each had their own special relationship with him. The grand nephews, Celio Banday, Ua Banday, and nieces Malia, Simone, and Aoluna, are the little ones that stole his heart and affection. Lloyd’s life was blessed by his extended family as well with a multitude of cousins to name a few, Douglas Kahn, Girard, Carl and Rodney Henderson, Sonia Hylton Bivens, Ellen Hylton-Woodson, John E. Hylton, Dennis Petinaud, special brother Raj Samaro, nephew in-law Setelo Akau, and niece Niki’s partner Mona Bernardo-Evans, special sister Kathi Cliff, as well as a host of friends too many to name. We know in our hearts of hearts, that Lloyd will always be with us to be present with us in this eternal relationship we have as a family.
We had a beautiful celebration for “Mr. B”-Lloyd! Family and friends came by Angelus Funeral Home and visited with him sharing their memories of him. We came in before hand and set up a beautiful environment for them to honor his legacy. Pictures were shared in a collage format and his favorite banner- the one on this blog was set up with flowers and little cards to write love notes. It was a homey and warm setting that really reflected the fabric of who Lloyd is to us. The out pour of those who texted messages, called, responded on Facebook was amazing but not surprising. Today we did an intimate family internment and I cannot begin to say how absolutely wonderful it was. We are so happy that our Lloyd has transitioned into his metamorphose and is free to walk, talk, and dance all over heaven.
Today’s Program: Forest Lawn -Glendale
Lloyd Edward Galloway, Jr.
“Mr. B’s Metamorphosis” -A New Birthday for Mr. B.
December 19th, 2024 Celebration of Life
Invitation to Celebrate Mr. B’s Amazing Life……Elizabeth Evans -Mr. B’s Sister
Prayer of Remembrance ………………………………Nikkie Evans- Mr. B’s Niece
A Special Song in Honor of Mr. B. ………………….Ua Banday-Mr. B’s grand nephew
Sharing Our Special Memories……………………….Led by Robin Gilliam -Mr. B’s Niece
Happy Birthday Song for Mr. B ………………………Led by Patricia Banday- Mr. B’s sister
With Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Shakes
Bubbles for Mr. Bubbles …………………………………Celio Banday- Mr. B’s grand nephew
Butterflies Taking Flight ………………………………….Leilani Banday-Akau- Mr. B’s niece
Memory Gifts Crafted by his friend………………….. Al-Nisa Johnson
There are a host of family and friends that have sent text messages, called, and responded
on Facebook to share their love and fond memories of their relationship with Lloyd.
Our family is so proud of who Lloyd has been and will continue to be in the lives of family,
friends, and even strangers who discover the “divine purpose” he has contributed to
humanity.
Beautiful Flowers Gifted by: Lloyd’s Loving brother Mark and his wife Linda,
We are one amazing lineage that travels from one lifetime experience to the next. This relationship is not by chance but by “Great Spirit’s” “Divine Design”! We are blessed!
Dear “Great Spirit”,
I don’t know the why, but I do know that this prayer today came up in my spirit. I know by now that when this happens, it is your voice, “Great Spirit”, that is moving within me. I hear the pain and disappointment in your voice as you survey the conditions of our family life. I understand the frustration in the vibration of your spirit, when you see the devastation and death you see that some families are experiencing that are beyond their control. Families are trying to navigate the chaos and destruction of this spiritual warfare that is plaguing our world. Families are dealing with being displaced from their homes, families, and communities that should be able to support one another. Families are dealing with trying to navigate loss of income and jobs that have sent them into a state of homelessness. Children are struggling with trying to find ways to be happy, healthy, and whole in this world that has forgotten that they should be a priority to humanity. These conditions have angered and disappointed “Great Spirit”.
We have been given so many gifts as human beings that we should really should not be in this position. However, the greatest concern is that those families that are not experiencing this level of devastation, are still not functioning as “Great Spirit” had envisioned for us. Those of us that are fortunate enough to have an intact families have to commit to working intentionally and purposefully to protect and nurture our relationships with each other. We have to remember that communication is key to us having healthy, loving, and respectful relationships.
We have to be in tune with what the important elements to this family relationship require. We have to be willing to love each other unconditionally void of judgment and “already knowing kind of hearing that keeps us from really listening to each other”. We have to be open and receptive to each other knowing that each person in our family has different personalities and different emotional needs. We cannot allow our egos and pride, give way to resolving any differences and misunderstandings we have, stop us from letting our love for each other override any impasse that threatens the texture of the fabric of our family relationship.
In other words, we are living in grace, mercy, and gratefulness and when you we are fortunate to be in a loving family, “To those that much have been given, much is expected”. I am not saying that these “loving families” don’t have challenges, because they do, but it is worth the effort to invest in each other. Grounding ourselves in these “Family Tribes” we have been gifted with, makes our life experience special and unique because no two families have the same “Divine Master Plan” because they are designed, created, and given their purpose differently. Hold on to your family with all its imperfections and flaws because no matter what, “each family member carries a piece of you in their lineage”.
This is the kind of leadership we need to support the families in this country!
The more her platform, policies, and accomplishments are exposed to our citizens, the more they will understand the value and urgency for Kamala and Tim to become their candidates of choice. We need someone who will be a champion for children and families. Living in this country at this time in history brings with it so many challenges and feelings of never being able to get ahead, that we struggle every day trying to keep our families intact and thriving. We have problems with accessing health care, childcare, housing, groceries, transportation, affordable higher education and just keeping our sanity.
Life can seem like an endless maze to tackle and climb out of. We need a President and Vice President that will take up the charge to enhance the lives of our families and their children. In 2017 we had as many as 437,000 children in Foster Care. In 2023 the number has reduced to 391,000. In 20223 approximately 111,620 children were homeless. In 2023 the statistics state that 12-14 million children in the U.S. face food insecurity, meaning they don’t when or where their next meal will come from. Why are we in this state of affairs if those that claim to be so committed to a “Pro Life” agenda, are not whole heartedly invested in the children we have in our care right now.?
We owe it to our children and their families to do better by them. These children that have graced us with their presence now are referred to as “Indigo children”- “Children with sight”. This means that they come here highly evolved and unfortunately, we are not prepared for them and they in return are not able to be in tune with our vibration. We should have been more highly evolved so that they would have been able to share their gifts with us. We have an opportunity in this election to make choices that will move our country forward in the direction where we bring our young people to the table for conversation and sharing of ideas and challenges, they face.
We must listen in order to do! We need a strong and vibrant campaign specifically to highlight and address what our new administration’s agenda will be for children and families. The $6,000.00 for the first year of a child’s life is a great start, but so much more needs to be done to support our children and families, and who knows better than the families and children that need to be served.
Today is a day that “Great Spirit” has ordained for your life and soul expression.
You hold them in your arms when they are little
It is one relationship that is worth the investment!
Daily Mantra:
There is nothing you do not have the potential of accomplishing and manifesting that are the true desires of your heart. We are each entitled to live a full, joy filled, and purposeful life. Take hold of who your “divine identity” is, and your “divine life’s destiny plan and journey and will bless you and the world will be blessed.
Chat for the day:
I woke up this morning to find out it was “Happy Daughter’s Day”, and it caused me to just sit in a smile for a while as I reflected on my life’s journey with my daughter Nicole Angel! It is amazing to have the gift of sharing your life with the love and respect of a daughter. I think it means different things for Moms and Dads because there is a special kind of connection between Moms and daughters that I can’t really explain. I don’t know if it is because we as women can identify with the unique elements of being a woman. We have shared experiences with our daughters at different stages of our life. When we bond with each other in this special relationship, I cannot express how beautiful and fulfilling it can be. They say that the cells of our children that we birth stay in our blood till eternity. Can you imagine how deep that relationship has the potential of being. I treasure my relationship with my daughter and feel so blessed to have been given the gift to be her vessel to enter this earthly plain.
Dads have their own special connection to their daughters. Innately, most fathers feel like they are their daughter’s protectors. They are the ones who take it upon themselves to make sure they are cared for in terms of their security not just physically but financially. Fathers can have the advantage of reading and identifying with the other males which can give them an advantage in protecting, nurturing and guiding their daughters in learning how to be discerning in their own relationships.
So today as we celebrate the gift of having our daughters, let’s do something special for them like:
Text them a love note
Write them a love note and send it to them- I still have love notes from my mother
Send them candy or flowers
Cook them their favorite meal
Do whatever is your special little something between the two of you
I know that my sisters feel the same way about their daughters as well. I can see the imprint we have had on each of them. I can see how this is an eternal relationship is real from our own family life experiences. I count my Niki as my greatest life blessing!
The principle to live by that will support our destiny path is -opening our hearts to love
My “New Day Intentions” to nourish, enhance, and care for my: Spirit-Body-Mind
Spiritual Development:
Today I am setting an intention to evolve spiritually by engaging in an experience, event or circumstance that will enhance my “soul development”. I will:
Physical Development:
Today I am setting an intention to have an opportunity to care for myself in my physical body. I will:
Mind-Cognitive Development:
Today I am setting an intention to nourish and enhance the insight and knowledge that my mind needs to be healthy, happy, and whole. I will:
My intention today is to have a day of:
These are the intentions that I manifested today that brought me:
Niki knows that we are eternally connected. It is a bond that connects us from one lifetime to the next.
I was always under the impression that the sacred connection between mother and child was somehow the umbilical cord and to some degree it is, but it is not the only element of our being that bounds our souls to our mothers. There is a phenomenon know as “Fetal Maternal Chimerism”, which is the deep and eternal bond between mother and baby. This phenomenon is when the baby’s cells live in the mother’s bloodstream for years after their birth and in the mother’s brain for the mother’s entire life. We are as human beings so very complicated and intricate in our design. This is the most amazing thing I have learned in forever. This should be something that is well known in our society! This should be something that is revered and celebrated.
As a mother it explains a lot to me about the connection I have with my daughter. I think the knowledge of this, and the acknowledgement of this phenomenon is something that can give children and their parents a great sense joy, security, and the ability to meet all the challenges of parenthood because no matter what happens in the mother-child relationship, there is a connection is always embedded physically and spiritually in the mother’s conscious being. I think this is probably why we as mothers have the gift of intuition. When we as mothers engage with our children, we share a sense of this intuitive gift with our children’s fathers as well. It is interesting that both parents have their own unique relationship and connection with their children.
Children will always need a father’s helping hands!
This blog is in honor of fathers- biological fathers as well as men that have stepped up to the plate to parent children that need to be loved and cared for. It is beautiful to witness the acts of love and kindness that fatherhood calls for and when it is expressed by men that are not obligated to do so because they did not father a child, it is truly an unselfish blessing. So with that in mind-
On this the day we have chosen to celebrate the Fathers and those that have stepped up to be Fathers, may God bless you and keep you in His love and compassion. It is a big charge to step into Fatherhood and it is a gift that when you receive this position or stand up to take on this position that you begin to understand that you are blessed. It is a responsibility that will present you with experiences that will touch your heart and soul. It will pose challenges to your intellect and also give you lessons in patience and unconditional love. The connection is eternal and is a life-time commitment, but the rewards that it can offer outweighs the investment. Your strength of character, your values and morals will impact your children’s lives, so take care that you always think of them first.
What does a child look for you in?
Do they see you as a giant that can conquer the world for them?
Do they see you as the one they can trust with all that’s in their heart?
Do they see you as the helping hand that will catch them if they fall?
Do they see you as the wisest man that knows right from wrong?
Do they see you as the man that can whisper “I love you my child”?
Do they see you in a state of joy when they are being their authentic selves, knowing that you love them for who they are?
Do they realize that you belong to them no matter what befall, cause you are their “Daddy”, and they have captured the strings of your heart and the essence of your soul?
May all the father’s that have taken on that position know that as they have taken on this charge from this world to the world beyond, know that your children love you and will honor you as their “Father” -and see imprints of you that will last into the forever-truth be told.
Nothing Better than a “Precious Father and Grandfather” like our “Grandpa Geno”!
