The adage about keeping old friends and making new ones is one I embrace but is hard to practice when you relocate. There is something about long distance relationships that poses a challenge for many folks. Here are some of the folks that turned out for my "going away" party at Covenantal Community Housing Coop that I miss. I miss not just the friendships but the cooperative way of living. And even the frustrations of trying to live and work cooperatively. As anyone will tell you it was not easy. But I learned some invaluable lessons that I will articulate in a future posting.
The majority of the pictures below were taken at my going away party. Thank you all for being my friend!
L-R Cynthia Whitemon, her friend, Dinilo (a master fisherman, tile layer - among other things) and Loren, a friend from next door.
L-R Haniyyah Z. Rhodes and Chrysal (two great friends that I would love to come visit me in St. Croix)
Rev. Dr. Michelle Bentley, my former mentor and a true role model that got me through Preliminary Fellowship! Thanks Michelle.
L-R Cynthia and her Cousin enjoying the food, drinks and conversation. Cynthia knows how to throw a party and is the go to person for such things. She also is an awesome gardener! Come see mine Cynthia!
L-R Mike (I performed he and Bonnie's wedding in this very courtyard!); Hnongmei Dong and Robin Mitchell.
L-R Haniyyah, Chrystal and Qiyamah - Three times is a charm!
Several weddings, parties and sundry gatherings have been held in this courtyard! Now that I am gone I really appreciate the Covenantal Community Housing Coop even more and its mission ad what it was doing . There are no Cooperatives perse in St. Croix. There are many condominiums which are probably the closest thing to coops but even so they still do not include some of the values that coops embody like social justice, gathering individuals from various faith communities and walks of life while striving to "live simply so that others might simply live!"
Cynthia was a character and someone that knows how to have fun as you can see from these pictures.
L-R Qiyamah and Junee Hunt. Junee is a long time friend. We both have sons that are around the same age who were best friends in high school. When I went to South Africa for a month in the early 1990s she made it possible by keeping my son, Muhammad. For that favor I will always be thankful. She has a place to stay in St. Croix anytime she wants to come! So, come on down!
L-R Kaleema, my youngest daughter who also lives in St. Croix and works at the Territorial Court as a Law Clerk. Junee Hunt on the right.
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