Tag Archives: mother

I was a fair way into my column when the call came. It was from one of the sharpest, most beautiful minds I know. He is not even forty, but he has accumulated wisdom far beyond his years—partly because he has lived a life that has been buffeted from all …

There is a quiet daily miracle. Not the kind that makes headlines. Not the kind that is measured in numbers, charts or statistics. The kind that lives in kitchens before sunrise, in whispered prayers at bedside, in sacrifices that are never announced, only felt. We call it motherhood. And if …

Many women arrive in clinic apologising for their bodies. “Doctor, I know… it’s my weight.” They say it before I check their blood pressure. Before I review their blood tests. Before I ask about sleep, stress, grief, work, hormones or the fact that they have not eaten a quiet meal …

I had mentioned in a recent column that I was hesitant to review Safiya Sinclair’s How to Say Babylon, because I was afraid I would gush too much. My friend, Patrick, had quickly messaged me to object. He wanted to read my full response, he said. “Write the thing, in …

“[…] I have tried everything: therapy, school intervention, parenting strategies from every corner of the internet, gentle parenting, tough love, smothering him with affection, strict boundaries, reward systems. “Every time he crossed a line, I forgave him. Over and over. Told him we could start fresh, leave the past behind. …

My mother got an A in picking cotton and a B in digging yam instead of the Common Entrance Exam. Her grandmother (and primary caregiver) must have thought that that was the better use of her time.  Can’t blame her though; she herself couldn’t write and had a thumbprint on …

“[…] Sisters, I urge you to make the right choice and ensure that all our eligible children are vaccinated, so that they can carry those school bags into their schools again.  “Just as we carried them as babes in arms to get their first vaccinations, let us now ensure that …