Peppy and Edwin Coke at Caribbean Riddimz Black History Month event, February 2008

I trust you had a great Thanksgiving and have digested all that food that was on the various tables (I know that some of you dinner-hopped, LOL).  It was my first time hosting Thanksgiving dinner so I was beside myself with excitement from the night before and woke up way too early to cook up a storm!  A good time was had by all -- 3 kids aged 2, 4 and 6; 2 teenagers; 2 young adults; and 6 adults.  We ate, chatted, played games and spent some time getting to know each other better.  If you had half as much fun as I did, then you are still treasuring that day.  Give thanks!

If you had a chance to read my editorial last week, you should remember that I wrote about my friend, Mark McFarlane who was shot and killed last Monday.  I was still finding it very difficult to cope with his death, when I received even sadder news that yet another friend and business associate, Edwin Coke was shot and killed outside his home in Jamaica this past Monday.  Many of you should remember Edwin because he remained one of my faithful sponsors for years and has been featured in this Newsletter on countless occasions (especially during the tax season)...To be honest with you, I was really not in the mood to write this week; I am semi-paralyzed with shock and have been operating on some internal engine that kicks in when I just want to shut down.  The past week is a blur and in retrospect, I realize that in my comings and goings I was "short" with folks and may have lost my temper because I was dealing with these deaths.   There are not enough words to describe the emotions we experience when dealing with grief.  For the past week and a half, as I thought about the senseless killings of these two good men, the only thing that saved me from breaking down in very public places is the memories of them when they were alive.  I cannot fathom what their families and loved ones are going through right now, as I am reminded of what I went through three years and four days to the day, when my paternal grandmother passed.  Mama was 87 and had lived a good, long, and healthy life, and even though we kind of expected it, the feeling of being lost when you lose someone close to you stayed with me for a long time.  In dealing with my grief, I ended up pushing away a couple people in my life who I liked a lot before her death, and to this day, I cannot seem to mend those relationships.  I know it is easier said than done, but please be empathic and patient when dealing with people who have lost loved ones -- they need time to heal, and sometimes the grieving process lasts longer than YOU expect it to.

I am sorry if this email has a sad tone to it -- I am really just expressing what I am feeling.  My fingers have a mind of their own when I sit down to write minutes before sending this out...It is what it is.  For those of you who knew these men who were killed, please find peace knowing that apart from being good to everyone they came into contact with, these two men were living their dreams and accomplished a lot during their time on this Earth.  Please email me for funeral information for both Mark and Edwin.

Have a safe week and remember to tell those close to you how much you love them.  Life is unpredictable.

Peace,