By Gloria DULAN-Wilson
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Showing posts with label Scorpio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scorpio. Show all posts
10.30.2018
CELEBRATING ADIYA'S BIRTHDAY OCTOBER 30, 2018
By Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Hello All:
Today, October 30, 2018 is my baby chile - Adiya Soignee Idane's - Birthday!!!
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| Adiya |
This is a milestone Birthday for Adiya - a/k/a Ms. Thing.
She is the youngest of my three - She was the TMK - "Tailor Made Kid" because her dad wanted a daughter - there were five boys in his family, and he had always wanted a sister, or better yet, a daughter.
Not only did I deliver, but she has her dad's eyes, dimples (who knew he had dimples under that beard??), and she was literally a belated birthday gift - born 5 days after Lou's birthdate of October 25, on October 30 - making them both Scorpios!!
Talk about delivering the goods!
She and Kira represent the "bookends" of the October family birthdays - Kira on October 7, and Adiya on October 30 - with 15 other family birthdays in between!
But truth be told, she did get a fair amount of pampering - especially from her big sister, Kira, and a lot of protection from her big brother Rais. Despite all of this, she is totally her own person - and a force of nature.
She is the youngest of my three - She was the TMK - "Tailor Made Kid" because her dad wanted a daughter - there were five boys in his family, and he had always wanted a sister, or better yet, a daughter.
Not only did I deliver, but she has her dad's eyes, dimples (who knew he had dimples under that beard??), and she was literally a belated birthday gift - born 5 days after Lou's birthdate of October 25, on October 30 - making them both Scorpios!!
Talk about delivering the goods!
She and Kira represent the "bookends" of the October family birthdays - Kira on October 7, and Adiya on October 30 - with 15 other family birthdays in between!
But truth be told, she did get a fair amount of pampering - especially from her big sister, Kira, and a lot of protection from her big brother Rais. Despite all of this, she is totally her own person - and a force of nature.
Adiya
was awake, aware, and alert from the day she was born. Out of the
three, she was the most determined to know what was going on - her
curiosity knew no bounds. She was the kid you couldn't hide anything
from. If
there was something that caught her eye that we deemed might be harmful
to her as a baby, we'd put it in a high cabinet or shelf, out of her
reach -but she'd find a way to get to it anyway!! There was a point where we thought that she could literally climb walls.
But she is also the kid that, if she didn't want you to know what was going on, you'd never find out. Typical Scorpio, she could keep a secret to the inth degree. Your secrets as well as her own are totally safe with her.
That said, she always amazes me with her insight, and ability to read between the lines. Like her dad, she can see through - or empathize with. She has the most beautiful, tender heart. Again, much like her dad. Her sense of humor and love for the humorous and comical is legendary. She gets the punch line almost before the joke is completed. A trait I think she also got from Lou, the Clown Prince of the family.
But she is also the kid that, if she didn't want you to know what was going on, you'd never find out. Typical Scorpio, she could keep a secret to the inth degree. Your secrets as well as her own are totally safe with her.
That said, she always amazes me with her insight, and ability to read between the lines. Like her dad, she can see through - or empathize with. She has the most beautiful, tender heart. Again, much like her dad. Her sense of humor and love for the humorous and comical is legendary. She gets the punch line almost before the joke is completed. A trait I think she also got from Lou, the Clown Prince of the family.
She has grown up to be an elegant, graceful, beautiful woman - and I am so proud of her and all of her accomplishments. A true Lincoln Lionness like her Mom (yours truly) she took her natural love of education and people and has distinguished herself in working with children.
She loves working with children, and it appears they love her back.
She
has that ready smile that just brightens up a room and the atmosphere,
no matter where she is or what's going on. She's creative and talented - designs fashions (got that from me); cook unusual dishes - also
from me - and unusual hair styles - now that she learned to do on her
own.
Having
a family where three of the major family members all have their
birthdays in October is both interesting and challenging - Kira is
October 7; Lou would have been October 25; and Adiya's is today, October
30 - I had to do my homework on Librans and Scorpios - and believe me,
theres a lot to learn. I call Kira and Adiya the Book-Ends, with Lou
in the middle of the October Birthdays, and Kira and Adiya being the
beginning and the end. Of course, the two fire signs - myself and Aries, and her brother, the Leo, keep things in check as much as possible - LOL
(By the way - there is a total of 17 family members born in the month of October when you combine my and Lou's family - that's almost a birthday every other day - except for the fact that the only Scorpios were Lou and Adiya).
 |
| Me with my "Book Ends" - Kira and Adiya |
(By the way - there is a total of 17 family members born in the month of October when you combine my and Lou's family - that's almost a birthday every other day - except for the fact that the only Scorpios were Lou and Adiya).
Being
a fellow Scorpion made her the apple of her Dad's eye. They were so
alike in so many ways - they had their own mutual admiration society.
She inherited his dimples, which were hidden securely under his beard,
and his sense of humor -though she can't tell jokes the way he did, she
has a serious funny bone!! She loved helping her dad select his stage wardrobe for Mandrill concerts, and keeping track of his music.
Adiya was a lot better at keeping secrets than Lou - they had their secret codes - at the end of the day, he would have spilled the beans to me about whatever it was they were collaborating on. LOL
I've always teased her about being the custom made kid - she has evolved into the Scorpio woman from the highest, most positive aspects - Scorpio is the only sign that has 3 levels of evolution - Scorpion, Snake and Eagle -
Adiya represents the Eagle = She soars above issues, problems, challenges - she's ethical, insightful, principled, and fun loving. The total package.
As a bragging parent, of course, I reserve the right to extol the virtues of my kids - whether they like it or not - and I often do. Now that they're adults, of course, and living their own lives, I'm even more pleased with how they turned out.
Ms. Thing, as we call her, has morphed into this absolutely poised, self assured, elegant and genteel beauty. She walks like she's walking on diamonds, with a glow that follows her into any room she enters. I am so proud to be her mom.
So please join me in wishing her the happiest of birthdays -
Happy Birthday Adiya
Luv4U Muchly
Momi
Stay Blessed
Adiya was a lot better at keeping secrets than Lou - they had their secret codes - at the end of the day, he would have spilled the beans to me about whatever it was they were collaborating on. LOL
I've always teased her about being the custom made kid - she has evolved into the Scorpio woman from the highest, most positive aspects - Scorpio is the only sign that has 3 levels of evolution - Scorpion, Snake and Eagle -
Adiya represents the Eagle = She soars above issues, problems, challenges - she's ethical, insightful, principled, and fun loving. The total package.
As a bragging parent, of course, I reserve the right to extol the virtues of my kids - whether they like it or not - and I often do. Now that they're adults, of course, and living their own lives, I'm even more pleased with how they turned out.
Ms. Thing, as we call her, has morphed into this absolutely poised, self assured, elegant and genteel beauty. She walks like she's walking on diamonds, with a glow that follows her into any room she enters. I am so proud to be her mom.
So please join me in wishing her the happiest of birthdays -
Happy Birthday Adiya
Luv4U Muchly
Momi
Stay Blessed
10.30.2016
Happy Birthday to my Baby Chile - Adiya
By Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Hello All:
Today, October 30, is my baby chile - Adiya - Birthday!!!
|
| Adiya |
She is the youngest of my three - which she says is no honor because she had to work as hard as everybody else. But truth be told, she did get a fair amount of pampering - especially from her big sister, Kira.
Adiya was awake, aware, and alert from the day she was born. Out of the three, she was the most determined to know what was going on - her curiosity knew no bounds. She was the kid you couldn't hide anything from.
If there was something that caught her eye that we deemed might be harmful to her as a baby, we'd put it in a high cabinet or shelf, out of her reach -but she'd find a way to get to it anyway!!
There was a point where we thought that she could literally climb walls.
She has grown up to be an elegant, graceful, beautiful woman - and I am so proud of her and all of her accomplishments.
She has that ready smile that just brightens up a room and the atmosphere, no matter where she is or what's going on. She's creative and talented - loves to design clothes - got that from me; cook unusual dishes - also from me - and unusual hair styles - now that she learned to do on her own.
She loves working with children, and it appears they love her back.
Having a family where three of the major family members all have their birthdays in October is both interesting and challenging - Kira is October 7; Lou would have been October 25; and Adiya's is today, October 30 - I had to do my homework on Librans and Scorpios - and believe me, theres a lot to learn. I call Kira and Adiya the Book-Ends, with Lou in the middle of the October Birthdays, and Kira and Adiya being the beginning and the end.
(By the way - there is a total of 17 family members born in the month of October when you combine my and Lou's family - that's almost a birthday every other day - except for the fact that the only Scorpios were Lou and Adiya).
|
| Me with my "Book Ends" - Kira and Adiya |
(By the way - there is a total of 17 family members born in the month of October when you combine my and Lou's family - that's almost a birthday every other day - except for the fact that the only Scorpios were Lou and Adiya).
Being a fellow Scorpion made her the apple of her Dad's eye. They were so alike in so many ways - they had their own mutual admiration society. She inherited his dimples, which were hidden securely under his beard, and his sense of humor -though she can't tell jokes the way he did, she has a serious funny bone!!
Although Adiya was a lot better at keeping secrets than her dad - they had their secret codes. I've always teased her that she was the custom made kid - but she exemplifies the Scorpio woman from the highest, most positive aspects - Scorpio is the only sign that has 3 levels of evolution - Scorpion, Snake and Eagle -
Adiya represents the Eagle = She soars above issues, problems, challenges - she's ethical, insightful, principled, and fun loving. The total package.
As a bragging parent, of course, I reserve the right to extol the virtues of my kids, whether they like it or not - and I often do. Now that they're adults, of course, and living their own lives, I'm even more pleased with how they turned out.
Ms. Thing, as we call her, has morphed into this absolute beauty, poised, self assured, elegant and genteel.
So please join me in wishing her the happiest of birthdays -
Happy Birthday Adiya
LuvU Muchly
Momi
Stay Blessed
Although Adiya was a lot better at keeping secrets than her dad - they had their secret codes. I've always teased her that she was the custom made kid - but she exemplifies the Scorpio woman from the highest, most positive aspects - Scorpio is the only sign that has 3 levels of evolution - Scorpion, Snake and Eagle -
Adiya represents the Eagle = She soars above issues, problems, challenges - she's ethical, insightful, principled, and fun loving. The total package.
As a bragging parent, of course, I reserve the right to extol the virtues of my kids, whether they like it or not - and I often do. Now that they're adults, of course, and living their own lives, I'm even more pleased with how they turned out.
Ms. Thing, as we call her, has morphed into this absolute beauty, poised, self assured, elegant and genteel.
So please join me in wishing her the happiest of birthdays -
Happy Birthday Adiya
LuvU Muchly
Momi
Stay Blessed
10.30.2015
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY "BABY CHILE" ADIYA S.I. WILSON
By Gloria Dulan-Wilson
The fact that she and Lou were both Scorpios - with birthdays five days apart, may have had something to do with the special bond these two shared. She had him awestruck from the day she emerged and wrapped those tiny little fingers around his.
You can't pressure her, but if she makes a promise - like her Dad and her Granddads, she is true to her word.
I'm so proud of my "Baby Chile" and so proud to be her mom - as you have already surmised from the previous posts for my other two wonderful offspring (Kira and Rais), I am the ultimate bragging parent - and with good reason. I'm three for three in producing wonderful kids; I've made my contribution to society by bringing these awesome beings into the world.
So, I celebrate my dear, darling daughter - on this her Birthday - Today, October 30th - with so many more wonderful blessings and adventures in store now and moving forward into the future - as I always say:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADIYA!
I LOVE YOU TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!!
Hello All:
Well, it's official - this is Adiya's day of days - October 30 - just one day shy of Halloween - and I did it on purpose, so that she would not have to grow up being a 'halloween' baby.
Adiya is the youngest of my three children - and, being the "baby," got the benefit of the wisdom and pampering from her older sibs, as well as being appropriately spoiled by her doting Dad, Lou. From birth she was/is "special, precious and smart."
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The fact that she and Lou were both Scorpios - with birthdays five days apart, may have had something to do with the special bond these two shared. She had him awestruck from the day she emerged and wrapped those tiny little fingers around his.
Our favorite nickname for her is "Ms. Thing" and she's been that since birth - long before it came into popular use - because she did everything her way. She talked early - could say her own name at the age of 6 months; walked early - by 9 months; could snap her fingers when she was just barely a year old. And has always been a bright, fun loving, adventuresome kid.
Adiya has now evolved into an even more fun loving, people loving young woman. She inherited the wit, wisdom and humor of her dad (and the charm of her Mom - ahem!) Her insight was/is way beyond her age. And like most Scorpios, she doesn't quit until she gets what she wants done - whether it's a design concept; a trip or journey; or learning something new. She's in it to make it happen.
When Mandrill was on tour, or had shows on the East Coast, Adiya would drop everything to tour with Lou and help him out backstage with wardrobe selections, or whatever else he needed done - she has a flair for style and staging (got it from yours truly, of course). And of course, during their performances, she was on the sidelines videotaping the shows for him, or just keeping rhythm to the music.
Like her Dad, she has the kind of face breaking smile and presence that lights up a room when and where she enters. She's the one who inherited his dimples - which no one knew even existed because of his beard. And like her Dad, she has the capacity to size things up pretty quickly without saying a word - Scorpions are like that you know - laid back on the surface, but keenly aware of what's happening underneath.
One of the guys in her class described her as the girl with the "Asian" eyes who steps like she's walking on diamonds. (I've always remembered that and thought it high praise coming from a college student - I also silently thanked the six years of ballet lessons she took for helping her maintain her queenly poise and posture).
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| Me, Ki, and Di!
She loves education and educating - and loves children, and has been working as a child development specialist for the past three years. Her rationale is that it's to make up for all the hard times she gave her teachers when she was growing up. I think it's also because my side of the family are primarily educators, professors, principals and it runs in the blood. Lou and I both instilled the love of learning in our kids - and they, in turn, pass it on - naturally. She's a designer; and is musically and artistically talented. She loves her culture and is a beautiful, proud, Black woman of the world!
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Out of our three, Adiya is the only one who attended and graduated from my Alma Mater, Lincoln University - class of 2003, where she, like me, has made some wonderful lifelong friends.
She's also a very private person - again like most Scorps -- they want to know all your secrets, but don't try to get any of theirs - fuhgeddaboudit!! They're masters at keeping secrets. But, if they love you, they're loyal for life - no matter what!
Like her Mom (uh, that's me) she can be the Maverick of the family - a bit on the persnickety side (as my Mom would say); not willing to settle for less than what she wants, no matter how long it takes! Of course, with time, we all find that flexibility is better than rigidity - and that perfection is not only over rated, it's kind of boring! (took me a while, too)
What stands out more than anything about Adiya is her sweetness and her empathy for others. She literally senses when something is not going right with a friend, and is ready to come to the rescue - whether it's first aid, commiseration, a kind word of encouragement; or some sisterly hand holding through rough times.
You can't pressure her, but if she makes a promise - like her Dad and her Granddads, she is true to her word.
I'm so proud of my "Baby Chile" and so proud to be her mom - as you have already surmised from the previous posts for my other two wonderful offspring (Kira and Rais), I am the ultimate bragging parent - and with good reason. I'm three for three in producing wonderful kids; I've made my contribution to society by bringing these awesome beings into the world.
 |
| MY THREE: L-R RAIS, KIRA and ADIYA |
In our family, birthdays are very special events. It's the day you finally emerged into the realm that will in turn be your sphere of influence for the next few decades - and your soul force goes forth ahead of you to attract all those people, things, events to you to bless you and make the path for your life. You are in turn a sphere of influence for others. And such is Adiya - "Ms. Thing" S.I. Wilson.
So, I celebrate my dear, darling daughter - on this her Birthday - Today, October 30th - with so many more wonderful blessings and adventures in store now and moving forward into the future - as I always say:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADIYA!
I LOVE YOU TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!!
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
LUV4U
Momi
10.25.2015
OCTOBER 25, 2015 - CELEBRATING THE 74TH BIRTHDAY OF LOU WILSON
By Gloria Dulan-Wilson
I am at peace now with his having joined the ancestor/angels - and in a lot better space today than I was nearly three years ago - when m heart was broken and rolling all over the floor like shards of glass.
My sister/friend Fikisha Cumbo shared this photo she took of him at one of the performances in Manhattan - I was somewhere offside/back stage.
There were so many crazy and wonderful memories of the times we shared - but what I want people to remember most about Lou is how much he loved music - he walked, talked, slept, ate and breathed music - it fairly exuded from his pores. It was passed on to our children, and is so contagious that music vibrates through each of us - even now!
Whenever you listen to any music by Mandrill, just remember the lyrics and the music were written, composed, arranged by this musical genius. Each one a masterpiece - whether it made the charts or not. He was as much an ethnomusicologist as he was an artist. He loved music from all cultures. We had a musical house, and anything and everything could be transformed into a musical instrument once it found its way into his hands.
Our handsome son, Rais, who had the opportunity to perform and tour with his dad, has started his own group, Ganika, channels a lot of his dad's talents in so many wonderful ways - breaking new ground, stepping outside the proverbial box. So do our wonderful grandchildren - so in many ways, Lou may not be here among us on this plane of action, but he is being reborn daily through all of them.
Every time you listen to his music, he's being reborn. Listen to his lyrics and you get the full measure of who Lou Wilson was/is. His deep, philosophical underpinnings are in the lyrics of the songs he wrote. His love of people was expressed through is lyrics.
Even during the period of our separation, I loved his music - Mandrill will always be the tops for me in original composition and quality. Each one of those Wilson brothers was a master musician in their own right - Ric, Carlos, Wolf - and most of all Lou - who was the inspiration and founder of the group with his very talented brothers 45 years ago.
Also remember that he loved children and always sought to educate them - teach them something new and watch the look of wonderment in their eyes as they began to grasp it. He was always teaching. He did it with our children, the neighbors' children, and any little person who came into his environment. He loved knowledge.
He also loved good comedy - especially Richard Pryor, Bill Cosby and Carol Burnette. Being a class clown himself, we could sit and watch comedy shows for hours on end - there is a genius behind being able to tell a joke and get a laugh - and he seemed to have mastered that craft - and passed it on to our son, as well.
Since I'm keeping this salute brief, I will close with something we used to sing to each other at the end of each phone conversation - it was originally by Carol Burnette, one of our favorite comediennes: "I'm so glad we had this time together..."
Happy Birthday Lou - we love and miss you very much! Give my greetings to Mom and Dad Wilson; my parents, Ruby and Warner Dulan, and to Gil Scott Heron ( I know you two are collaborating on something great), Alonzo, JiTu Weusi, and all our wonderful friends.
And yes, I still love cooking! lol
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Much Love from
GLO
Hello All:
Well, this is October 25, 2015 - and Lou Wilson, the love of my life, would have celebrated his 74th Birthday, had he lived.
I know that our children are remembering their Dad fondly, as are his brothers.
He was much loved and greatly missed by us all.
I am at peace now with his having joined the ancestor/angels - and in a lot better space today than I was nearly three years ago - when m heart was broken and rolling all over the floor like shards of glass.
My sister/friend Fikisha Cumbo shared this photo she took of him at one of the performances in Manhattan - I was somewhere offside/back stage.
There were so many crazy and wonderful memories of the times we shared - but what I want people to remember most about Lou is how much he loved music - he walked, talked, slept, ate and breathed music - it fairly exuded from his pores. It was passed on to our children, and is so contagious that music vibrates through each of us - even now!
Whenever you listen to any music by Mandrill, just remember the lyrics and the music were written, composed, arranged by this musical genius. Each one a masterpiece - whether it made the charts or not. He was as much an ethnomusicologist as he was an artist. He loved music from all cultures. We had a musical house, and anything and everything could be transformed into a musical instrument once it found its way into his hands.
Our handsome son, Rais, who had the opportunity to perform and tour with his dad, has started his own group, Ganika, channels a lot of his dad's talents in so many wonderful ways - breaking new ground, stepping outside the proverbial box. So do our wonderful grandchildren - so in many ways, Lou may not be here among us on this plane of action, but he is being reborn daily through all of them.
Every time you listen to his music, he's being reborn. Listen to his lyrics and you get the full measure of who Lou Wilson was/is. His deep, philosophical underpinnings are in the lyrics of the songs he wrote. His love of people was expressed through is lyrics.
Even during the period of our separation, I loved his music - Mandrill will always be the tops for me in original composition and quality. Each one of those Wilson brothers was a master musician in their own right - Ric, Carlos, Wolf - and most of all Lou - who was the inspiration and founder of the group with his very talented brothers 45 years ago.
Also remember that he loved children and always sought to educate them - teach them something new and watch the look of wonderment in their eyes as they began to grasp it. He was always teaching. He did it with our children, the neighbors' children, and any little person who came into his environment. He loved knowledge.
He also loved good comedy - especially Richard Pryor, Bill Cosby and Carol Burnette. Being a class clown himself, we could sit and watch comedy shows for hours on end - there is a genius behind being able to tell a joke and get a laugh - and he seemed to have mastered that craft - and passed it on to our son, as well.
Since I'm keeping this salute brief, I will close with something we used to sing to each other at the end of each phone conversation - it was originally by Carol Burnette, one of our favorite comediennes: "I'm so glad we had this time together..."
Happy Birthday Lou - we love and miss you very much! Give my greetings to Mom and Dad Wilson; my parents, Ruby and Warner Dulan, and to Gil Scott Heron ( I know you two are collaborating on something great), Alonzo, JiTu Weusi, and all our wonderful friends.
And yes, I still love cooking! lol
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Much Love from
GLO
10.25.2014
OCTOBER 25: Celebrating Lou Wilson of MANDRILL's 73rd Birthday Anniversary - Peace and Love Be Unto Him
By Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Well, it's here again, and I'm in a lot better space this year than I was last year - Lou's birthday is today, Saturday, October 25, 2014 - and, though I was a basket case leading up to this occasion, I've actually walked through the valley and come out on the other side in a much better space - emotionally, spiritually, psychologically, mentally and even physically than I went in.
Truth be told, I spent the better part of this week tripping on how I was going to handle October 25 without him being here - without surprising him with at least 3 zany birthday greeting cards (I could never ever choose just one); without all the silly, mushy stuff we said to each other. So as it got closer and closer to the date, I allowed myself to wallow in the blues for the past few days - literally - and when I say wallow, I mean I wallowed. I bawled, I cried, I sobbed, I prayed, I vividly relived all the treasured times we spent together - all the agonizing times we spent apart. I looked him in the eyes and traveled all the way back to the first time we met at Temple University's McGonigle Hall (in Philadelphia) - all the way to January 5, the date of our the last conversation we had about travel plans and moving arrangements. I remember reminding him that it was our grandson's birthday (as if he would forget that!), and laughing at how fast time was whizzing by.
I literally went through all the agonizing "why me?" "it's not fair" moments. I think it's what most of us call the blues - and I had it soooo bad, I didn't come outside for two days!!!
And just when I thought that I would surely cry my eyeballs out, I felt the most amazing aura of peace and love I'd ever experienced in my life come over me and permeate the room. And I heard Israel Houghton's song: "It's Not Over," in my mind - as if he and New Breed had just stepped into the room and started singing, as if to tell me that everything was gonna be okay; and this was not going to be ongoing pain, but the end of pain, which was now transformed into treasured moments.
It was if God had just stepped into the room and said it's time to come out of the valley and move forward ("Moving Forward" by EH). I sat on the edge of the bed and started smiling into the darkness, as I heard him say, "Hey Glo, between you, me, and the what? Lamp post - the lamp post can't talk; it tells no secrets - so really between you and me, we had a wonderful time here; we did a lot of things - they are all in here; that's what really matters. Right? It's time for you to get up and get your glow back."
So as I celebrate Lou, I honor all that we shared, and what we were able to complete in our walk together. I take all that I've learned from him - all those wonderful 3:00AM conversations and thank him for the blessings, the fun, the lessons - and yes, the trials and tribulations we went through to get to the point of reunion and resurrection before his transition. I can now smile and listen to his music with enjoyment; I can remember the times he spent over that Fender Rhodes picking out the lyrics for a new song that suddenly struck him; or recording into the tape recorder a sound that he wanted to inculcate into a new song idea that struck him; impromptu jam sessions at the hotels where we stayed while on the road; or pulling out the old classic crooners like Johnny Hartman, Latin vocalists and others that he so admired to go over why they were great. (He loved Joe Cocker - I could never understand that one); revered the Beattles (I learned to enjoy them too) - and we both were comedy nuts - from Richard Pryor and Bill Cosby and Saturday Night Live and beyond.
Fiercely proud of his Caribbean heritage - Jamaican Dad, Barbadian Mom, born in Panama (Jamaica/Basha/Manian man), he would start the day playing Sparrow, Lord Kichener, and all the others he'd grown up listening to in Panama and Brooklyn. All that culture and music was infused into this wonderful 6'4" giant, and he embraced it all - and melded it into his new found cultural base as an African American Caribbean brother from Bed Stuy.
I'm rejoicing that his genius has been passed through our DNA to our children and their children, and that it's blossoming in them in so many wonderful ways - not necessarily as musicians, but as wit and wisdom; masters of humor and conversation; outgoing, friendly, warm hearted generosity. I have come to realize that Lou may have made his transition to the ancestors, but he's not dead - because he lives in each one of his children; he lives in that great body of music he gave to the world via MANDRILL - a great deal of which is still sitting on tapes in his brother's garage. He may have even lent some of his DNA to his nieces and nephews - via his words of wisdom, his love of children, his love of education was transmitted to them every chance he had to be with them.
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
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| HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOU WILSON Tall, Dark & Chocolate! |
Well, it's here again, and I'm in a lot better space this year than I was last year - Lou's birthday is today, Saturday, October 25, 2014 - and, though I was a basket case leading up to this occasion, I've actually walked through the valley and come out on the other side in a much better space - emotionally, spiritually, psychologically, mentally and even physically than I went in.
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| LOU & GLO WILSON |
Truth be told, I spent the better part of this week tripping on how I was going to handle October 25 without him being here - without surprising him with at least 3 zany birthday greeting cards (I could never ever choose just one); without all the silly, mushy stuff we said to each other. So as it got closer and closer to the date, I allowed myself to wallow in the blues for the past few days - literally - and when I say wallow, I mean I wallowed. I bawled, I cried, I sobbed, I prayed, I vividly relived all the treasured times we spent together - all the agonizing times we spent apart. I looked him in the eyes and traveled all the way back to the first time we met at Temple University's McGonigle Hall (in Philadelphia) - all the way to January 5, the date of our the last conversation we had about travel plans and moving arrangements. I remember reminding him that it was our grandson's birthday (as if he would forget that!), and laughing at how fast time was whizzing by.
I literally went through all the agonizing "why me?" "it's not fair" moments. I think it's what most of us call the blues - and I had it soooo bad, I didn't come outside for two days!!!
And just when I thought that I would surely cry my eyeballs out, I felt the most amazing aura of peace and love I'd ever experienced in my life come over me and permeate the room. And I heard Israel Houghton's song: "It's Not Over," in my mind - as if he and New Breed had just stepped into the room and started singing, as if to tell me that everything was gonna be okay; and this was not going to be ongoing pain, but the end of pain, which was now transformed into treasured moments.
It was if God had just stepped into the room and said it's time to come out of the valley and move forward ("Moving Forward" by EH). I sat on the edge of the bed and started smiling into the darkness, as I heard him say, "Hey Glo, between you, me, and the what? Lamp post - the lamp post can't talk; it tells no secrets - so really between you and me, we had a wonderful time here; we did a lot of things - they are all in here; that's what really matters. Right? It's time for you to get up and get your glow back."
So as I celebrate Lou, I honor all that we shared, and what we were able to complete in our walk together. I take all that I've learned from him - all those wonderful 3:00AM conversations and thank him for the blessings, the fun, the lessons - and yes, the trials and tribulations we went through to get to the point of reunion and resurrection before his transition. I can now smile and listen to his music with enjoyment; I can remember the times he spent over that Fender Rhodes picking out the lyrics for a new song that suddenly struck him; or recording into the tape recorder a sound that he wanted to inculcate into a new song idea that struck him; impromptu jam sessions at the hotels where we stayed while on the road; or pulling out the old classic crooners like Johnny Hartman, Latin vocalists and others that he so admired to go over why they were great. (He loved Joe Cocker - I could never understand that one); revered the Beattles (I learned to enjoy them too) - and we both were comedy nuts - from Richard Pryor and Bill Cosby and Saturday Night Live and beyond.
Fiercely proud of his Caribbean heritage - Jamaican Dad, Barbadian Mom, born in Panama (Jamaica/Basha/Manian man), he would start the day playing Sparrow, Lord Kichener, and all the others he'd grown up listening to in Panama and Brooklyn. All that culture and music was infused into this wonderful 6'4" giant, and he embraced it all - and melded it into his new found cultural base as an African American Caribbean brother from Bed Stuy.
I'm rejoicing that his genius has been passed through our DNA to our children and their children, and that it's blossoming in them in so many wonderful ways - not necessarily as musicians, but as wit and wisdom; masters of humor and conversation; outgoing, friendly, warm hearted generosity. I have come to realize that Lou may have made his transition to the ancestors, but he's not dead - because he lives in each one of his children; he lives in that great body of music he gave to the world via MANDRILL - a great deal of which is still sitting on tapes in his brother's garage. He may have even lent some of his DNA to his nieces and nephews - via his words of wisdom, his love of children, his love of education was transmitted to them every chance he had to be with them.
Celebrating the Birthday of Lou Wilson of Mandrill:
Saturday, October 25, 2014, marks the 73rd Birthday of Lou Wilson, the love of my life. It's been a challenge to make it through the month of October with so many memories and realizing that his Birthday will soon be here, but he won't be here to celebrate it with us. Birthdays are a big deal in our family and it would usually be planning some way to surprise, shock and awe each other with some outlandish gift or homage. But now, I'm dealing with the memories, the fun, our beautiful children - Kira, Rais & Adiya; our fantastic grandchildren - His brothers: Ric (Doc), Carlos (Carl), Wilfredo (Wolf) = the Group; and his wonderful parents Doris & Wilfred Wilson, and his kid brother Alonzo, who made their transitions before him - All that went to make up this wonderful, creative, talented, big hearted, complex Fine Black Man. He exuded music; his life was one long series of lyrics. So Happy Birthday Lou Wilson (Tall/Dark&Chocolate) - I celebrate you and the joy you brought to so many of us while you were here among us, and the treasured memories while you are with the Ancestors - Say hello to Gil Scott-Heron, Mom & Dad (yours and mine); Jitu Weusi, Amiri and all our friends. I know you're all having a blast.
- Love You Always -
Stay Blessed -
GloW
LOU, CARLOS, RIC, WILFREDO
LOU WILSON BLACK IN THE DAY
ECLECTICALLY BLACKStay Blessed &
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
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