Month: January 2021

The Legacy of Coffee

Posted on by Ashaki Omikunle

The other day I was thinking how much my mornings look like my mom’s when she was in her twenties. She always had fresh coffee, made her breakfast, read the newspaper, and prepared herself for the day–savoring the few hours early before anyone else was awake. I am much the same. I am up early on purpose. I love having time to rise slowly, be with myself, and pamper me for a bit before I have to face the world.

I began to reminisce about how all of my family- especially the women who raised me enjoyed coffee. My mother, my grandmother, my great-grandmother all shared laughs, memories, debates, and so much more over a hot cup of coffee. It was a necessary staple in all of their households and I continue the legacy.

I remember Grandma Lillie putting on the percolator, brewing coffee early in the morning. I loved the smell ( I still do ) and I would beg for a little bit. My great-grandmother would say “You can’t have any coffee, it’ll make you black” and I would say “Well, I’m already black so give me mine!”. The women would swat me away but, I would hang around listening, being careful not to be too much of a nuisance so that they would allow me to hang.

I still vividly remember how they took their coffee too- Momma had 2 teaspoons of sugar and a little cream, Grandma liked her coffee black, and Great-grandma liked her with just a little cream. Coffee. I also realize that even in having just a cup of coffee, my foremothers were giving themselves of some well-deserved pleasure. Even in its simplicity, just the mere act of them sitting , drinking, and enjoying it brings me so much joy.

How hard they all had worked over the years, how much they had toiled. They deserved every ounce they savored. And so, as I sit early in the mornings, sipping on my coffee, I am honoring their memory by keeping the legacy alive.

Supreme gratitude of coffee.

Peace,

Ashaki

2021- A Year for Intentionality

Posted on by Ashaki Omikunle

Peace beloveds and happy new year! I have not been in a space to write, nor the vibe but I am feeling my way through my days now and so here I am.

The word “intentionality” has become a focus word for me this year (and honestly began before the calendar year 2020 came to an end). I have found myself being in a space where I simply cannot do as I used to do. Spiritual messages have come in like a wave and some days I am simply exhausted and unable to do–being forced to just be.

So, here we are halfway through the month of January and I am fighting to not feel guilty to spending so much time in reflection, declining calls, messages, interactions that are not serving me in this moment. I have dreams for my future and am finding that spirit is working with me and through me to facilitate growth and maturation in an entire different way than I could ever have imagined.

I don’t feel pushed to produce. I feel guided to allow. I am only pursuing activities, relationships, and other things from a position of being intentional. I find myself asking if I am doing something because it is what I have always done, is it because others expect this of me, or is this truly serving me, bringing me peace, joy, bliss, abundance?

I am being intentional about leaning into ease. I am seeking what feels good and aligned in this moment- nothing other than that. I must admit that it is not a particularly comfortable place to be in because we live in a society that pushes productivity. But, I am off the hamster wheel. I cannot go on in the manner in which I had for so many years.

As I reflect over the nearly 40 years of my life, I realize how often I had simply been living, touting being hard working as some badge of honor, yet all the while not honoring my divine self, and certainly not operating in my natural flow. So much has become easy with me simply being. I am enjoying it so far, though I have to check the masculine side of myself who says “get up and do!”.

As this planet continues to shift from operating from a highly masculine energy into a more feminine one, may we all find more ways of simply Be-ing. See y’all soon!

Peace,

Ashaki