I Created ‘Call Your Elders Day’ to Lift Up My Loved Ones
This weekly practice of care comes with valuable lessons
The voice on the other end of the phone is creaky, and the words are slow. But the warmth and gratitude are such a comfort, despite the distance between us. This year, I decided to make intentional, regular time to catch up with older relatives and family friends. I call it Call Your Elders Day, and it has become such a balm to my spirit. If you’ve got loved ones you’re far away from, I highly recommend it for both you and for them.
The longer the pandemic goes on, the more homesick I feel. I was born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, approximately 2,680 miles away from Chicago. Video chatting has helped to fill the void somewhat, allowing me to at least see my parents and siblings on a regular basis. But there is so much more to island life that I yearn for and cannot fulfill here. I come from a big family that hosted regular social gatherings. Around the holidays it hit me. I was looking through old photos of good times at home, and I realized there were far too many people who had passed away. I started looking through photos of my extended auntie squad back home, and I realized a common denominator among the ones who are still here.
