Thank you for being here

Yesterday, I spent the day with my granny to prepare for Christmas day. Christmas is the time of year when I undeniably connect to my Guyanese roots because we have rituals for everything. Guyanese people clean their homes until their spotless and purchase new blinds to bring in the new year.

You go to sleep on Christmas Eve with new pajamas and have a Christmas breakfast of Pepperpot (and freshly made bread if you're really lucky.)

(History break: Pepperpot is a dish that was created out of necessity during a time before fridges were in every home in Guyana. They figured out a way to preserve food for longer periods of time and now it is just a dish we love that is tradition.)

We make Black Cake, which is kind of like the Caribbean version of fruit cake, only less fruits and more rum.

So yesterday me and my granny went grocery shopping, headed back to the house to prepare Pepperpot and I helped her change her curtains. I loved every second of learning from her, and you can even see some of it in my IG stories.

These traditions have always wrapped December in a beautiful envelope of familiarity making it my favorite month because I know exactly what I can expect. I get to spend time with my family in a loving and meaningful way and I do not take that for granted.

I wanted to reach out today to thank you for being apart of my extended family. I may not have been the most vocal internet friend this year but I am so grateful to know you and hope that you will allow me into your inbox a bit more in 2020.

I have been fortunate this year to do a lot of growing and I have been working on some amazing projects that I hope will aid in the growth of not only myself but the growth of those around me. More on that later! ;)

In the meantime, thank you for being apart of my little corner of the internet and wherever you are I wish you the Happiest of Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanza.

I hope this time is spent the way that you love the most.

Damaly