Making Love

It has been labelled as a cultural flaw, that Trinidadians are not the most supportive bunch. We are excited about bacchanal and corruption. Our newspapers are slathered with sensationalist pictures and headlines about the demise of the nation and its leaders.We cheer at others' failure. We are hesitant to trust- In fact we think something is wrong with anyone who trusts at all. We mock anyone who attempts to do anything out-of-the-box,

...or so I thought.
I have been pleasantly surprised by a level of love and kindness by my fellow Trinidadian women.

 I have always felt somewhat out of place. I never really jumped on any bandwagon growing up. As a matter of fact, I think I rebelled at the norm intentionally, because I never wanted to conform to anything. In a High School where the Science classes were so full that they had to be divided into two, and every child dreamed of the title "Dr", I was sketching gowns, and looking to follow in Diane Hunt's footsteps. My passion for fashion and the longing to create beauty, led me to the heart of it all- women.

It is because of women and their desire to be forever changing and evolving, that the fashion industry has thrived. I have been surrounded by a plethora of amazing and influential women throughout my life, and today I am proud to be a part of a sisterhood that works to fire up a revolution with new ideas and positive resonance. When I made fashion fashion my full-time career, I was met with unexpected love and support. I was so used to people questioning me about the frivolity of it all, and wondering how I could possibly disregard all my years of formal education to do something so unheard of in this culture! Now to have people in my corner, congratulating me for taking these risks and offering kudos-- well I didn't see that one coming.

Do you believe in "The Secret"? That what we put into the Universe would return to us? Well my genuine cheer-leading for the women around me has come back. I have met some amazing people in the past few years. I feel like I have known them my whole life, and that I love them like they are my own real sisters. In a society where courtesy and patience aren't common, gestures of generosity are a big deal. These women have far surpassed any expectation I have had for our relationships, and I cannot truly express how blessed I feel to have them in my life.

 Very recently I discovered that a group of young women (that I have seen grow up before my eyes)  has gotten together to start a non-profit campaign, "The Fairy Godmother Project", to donate graduation dresses to high school girls! Only the other day did I realise that my friend's sister is the founder Studio W; a place where women can go to strengthen their minds and bodies. Without having to ask twice, amazingly selfless ladies have been using their own time and resources to help me have a truly special event on April 13. So if you are a little bit cynical (like me) stop and look around at the magically giving people that surround you. There are people who will root for you like their life depended on it. There are people who genuinely believe in you and want to see you take on the world with success. There are people who emanate real love, even for a stranger.

So to these special ladies, I just felt to write tonight, "to put down in words, how wonderful life is, now you're in the world"