01/02/2026
Last night I cried a little bit - happy tears. I was overwhelmed at how good life still is, despite the valleys we sometimes go through on our journey. Each night of Kwanzaa, my boyfriend and I video called my sister and, together, we reflected on the principles and went through the ceremonial rituals such as drinking from the kikombe cha umoja and pulling together in affirmation. I felt a special urge to verbally acknowledge our ancestors - our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, his brother… all the people in our lineage who helped shape us into the individuals we are today, whom we honor by the way we live our lives. As we culminated the holiday with the principle of Imani, faith, we reflected on how it is the cherry on top that makes all things possible.
I appreciate how my boyfriend invests in learning about and participating in this tradition, and understanding of its importance to me as we build a home and family together. As I said, “Kwanzaa doesn’t center white people, but the values and messages are universal,” and I want them instilled in the home that we create, as it was done by my parents for me growing up.
It’s supposed to be on the 31st, but I usually cook the karamu on the 1st 😅 I was happy, as always, to make a meal for my family. Yesterday, I prepared a chuck roast (with some herbs from the garden! Lol), garlic mashed potatoes, and spicy collard greens.
